Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Merida

For one person, living is cheaper in Merida: $814 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Merida
Learn more

Merida Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Merida

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Merida

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 Merida actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $814 in Merida, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Merida $814

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,418 in Merida, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Merida $1,418

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,021 in Merida, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Merida $2,021

Budapest costs about 99% more than Merida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Merida is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.90 VES 10.4K

17.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$60.9 VES 53.4K

0.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$10.82 VES 9,500

-5.82%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.54 VES 2,226

28.35%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.13 VES 1,867

0.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.36 VES 1,195

30.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.97 VES 1,727

88.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.01 VES 2,644

25.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$2.04 VES 1,788

-43.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$3.32 VES 2,913

-46.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.00 VES 1,759

24.50%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.51 VES 2,201

55.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.79 VES 5,965

63.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$7.87 VES 6,912

-15.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$7.31 VES 6,421

100.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$5.11 VES 4,488

-64.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.44 VES 1,267

42.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.76 VES 2,426

-14.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.36 VES 2,070

65.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.98 VES 1,735

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.36 VES 1,194

-26.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.49 VES 1,307

6.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$2.53 VES 2,217

-73.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.71 VES 3,258

114.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$11.18 VES 9,812

-44.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.40 VES 1,233

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.21 VES 1,944

-8.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.29 VES 253

424.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.95 VES 3,469

-16.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.48 VES 1,300

-7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.86 VES 5,144

238.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.72 VES 629

152.78%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$45.7K VES 40.1M

-34.83%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$50.5K VES 44.3M

-33.04%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$12.37 VES 10.9K

1283.35%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$10.13 VES 8,894

132.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$29.49 VES 25.9K

-21.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$29.41 VES 25.8K

129.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$14.79 VES 13.0K

27.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.93 VES 4,325

88.64%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$88.5 VES 77.7K

502.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,399 VES 2.1M

598.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$72.6 VES 63.7K

37.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$42.37 VES 37.2K

2.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$97.4 VES 85.5K

13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$98.3 VES 86.3K

21.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$132 VES 116.2K

527.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$93.6 VES 82.1K

564.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$224 VES 196.9K

610.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$193 VES 169.8K

505.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,184 VES 1.0M

392.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,211 VES 1.1M

221.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$290 VES 254.9K

468.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-74.20%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Merida: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Merida

$94 11.5% 85% $528

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Merida

$289 35.5% 12.1% $31

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Merida

$188 23.1% 15.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Merida

$52 6.4% 76.1% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Merida

$140 17.2% 16.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Merida

$39 4.8% 54.4% $47

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Merida

$13 * 1.5% 71.7% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $132 in Merida. 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 469% 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 $61.0 in Merida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $289 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇻🇪 Merida

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

18:29 6:29 PM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

250,303

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Merida 9,320 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Merida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,221 in Merida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $61.0 in Merida. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Merida, where all-in costs run around $814, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Merida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Merida – 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 Merida. 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.