Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Melissia

For one person, living is cheaper in Melissia: $1,449 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Melissia
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Melissia Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Melissia

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,449

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Melissia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Melissia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,449 in Melissia, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Melissia $1,449

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,207 in Melissia, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Melissia $2,207

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,966 in Melissia, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Melissia $2,966

Budapest costs about 12% more than Melissia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Melissia sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Melissia by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,492

$11.22 €9.97

24.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.7K

$59.7 €53.0

2.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,284

$9.11 €8.09

11.86%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,052

$4.00 €3.56

-18.50%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 Ft 689

$2.29 €2.04

-6.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 575

$0.59 €0.52

201.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,195

$4.58 €4.06

-19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,215

$5.15 €4.57

-26.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 370

$1.90 €1.69

-39.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 576

$1.40 €1.25

27.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 802

$2.79 €2.48

-10.75%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,258

$5.17 €4.59

-24.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,579

$11.12 €9.88

-0.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,134

$10.13 €8.99

-34.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,734

$18.83 €16.72

-21.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 590

$2.23 €1.98

-17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 660

$1.92 €1.70

6.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 764

$1.38 €1.22

71.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,257

$1.98 €1.76

96.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.11 €0.99

-10.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 321

$1.12 €0.99

-10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.87 €0.77

81.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 215

$0.86 €0.76

-22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,566

$5.47 €4.85

45.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,004

$10.17 €9.04

-38.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 410

$2.16 €1.92

-41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 653

$2.33 €2.07

-12.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 489

$1.17 €1.04

29.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,032

$45.14 €40.09

-37.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,067

$4.42 €3.92

-25.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 441

$1.01 €0.90

35.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,391

$14.15 €12.56

40.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 587

$2.17 €1.92

-16.13%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.4K €25.2K

4.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$23.4K €20.8K

44.70%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$171 Ft 55.2K

$203 €181

-15.86%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.51 Ft 7,579

$24.57 €21.82

-4.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,508

$28.60 €25.40

-18.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$58.3 €51.8

15.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,090

$22.37 €19.87

-15.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 2,997

$8.94 €7.94

4.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$533 Ft 171.9K

$479 €425

11.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,505 €4,001

271.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.1K

$88.0 €78.2

13.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$35.95 €31.93

20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.6K

$102 €90.6

8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.3K

$125 €111

-4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 267.7K

$461 €410

80.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.5K

$390 €347

59.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 513.7K

$757 €673

110.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 377.2K

$621 €552

88.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,608 €2,316

123.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,213 €1,965

75.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 532.2K

$1,362 €1,209

21.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.48

43.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Melissia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Melissia

$390 27% 37.2% $231

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Melissia

$299 20.6% 15.8% $41

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Melissia

$210 14.5% 5.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Melissia

$257 17.7% 17.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Melissia

$158 10.9% 5.8% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Melissia

$76 5.3% 11.5% $9.9

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Melissia

$59 4.1% 34.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $461 in Melissia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $60.0 in Melissia. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $299 in Melissia – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇷 Melissia

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

16:32 4:32 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

15,588

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Melissia 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Melissia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,173 in Melissia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Melissia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Melissia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $479 in Melissia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Melissia, where all-in costs run around $1,449, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Melissia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Melissia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Melissia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.