Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Mito

For one person, living is cheaper in Mito: $1,195 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Mito
Learn more

Mito Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Mito

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,195

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Mito

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,195 in Mito, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Mito $1,195

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,927 in Mito, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Mito $1,927

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,660 in Mito, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Mito $2,660

Budapest costs about 35% more than Mito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Mito is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.19 ¥979

125.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$40.41 ¥6,384

51.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.00 ¥790

103.80%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.40 ¥538

-4.12%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.08 ¥171

98.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.80 ¥126

122.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.56 ¥404

44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.18 ¥503

18.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.40 ¥221

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.66 ¥262

7.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$3.55 ¥561

-29.86%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.01 ¥317

94.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$10.23 ¥1,617

8.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.96 ¥942

11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$14.60 ¥2,307

0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$5.51 ¥871

-66.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.73 ¥431

-24.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.82 ¥446

-15.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$4.27 ¥675

-8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.53 ¥399

-60.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.67 ¥423

-62.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.28 ¥201

23.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.76 ¥121

-11.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.71 ¥586

114.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.21 ¥980

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.81 ¥286

-29.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.07 ¥327

-1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.62 ¥256

-6.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$50.8 ¥8,021

-44.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.07 ¥486

7.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$2.72 ¥430

-49.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$20.41 ¥3,225

-2.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.11 ¥175

63.96%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.0K ¥3.3M

41.89%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$18.3K ¥2.9M

84.40%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$132 ¥20.8K

29.92%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$23.76 ¥3,754

-1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$31.72 ¥5,011

-26.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$59.7 ¥9,432

13.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$12.37 ¥1,954

-24.82%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$622 ¥98.2K

-14.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

12.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$61.1 ¥9,648

63.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$36.44 ¥5,757

19.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$62.0 ¥9,793

78.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$103 ¥16.3K

15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$522 ¥82.4K

59.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$313 ¥49.4K

98.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,107 ¥174.9K

43.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$727 ¥114.8K

61.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,615 ¥571.2K

61.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,962 ¥309.9K

98.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.64

144.32%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mito: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Mito

$313 26.2% 49.7% $309

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Mito

$286 24% 11.1% $29

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Mito

$132 11.1% 40.8% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Mito

$187 15.7% 14.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Mito

$118 9.9% 29.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Mito

$84 7.1% 2% $1.7

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Mito

$74 6.2% 67.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $522 in Mito. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $40.00 in Mito. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $286 in Mito – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇵 Mito

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

17:45 5:45 PM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

271,047

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Mito 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Mito

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 Mito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,792 in Mito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 81% less in Mito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $622 in Mito. 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 Mito, where all-in costs run around $1,195, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Mito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mito – 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 Mito. 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.