Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Nea Smyrni

For one person, living is cheaper in Nea Smyrni: $1,386 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Nea Smyrni
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Nea Smyrni Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Nea Smyrni

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Nea Smyrni

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,386 in Nea Smyrni, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Nea Smyrni $1,386

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,085 in Nea Smyrni, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Nea Smyrni $2,085

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,784 in Nea Smyrni, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Nea Smyrni $2,784

Budapest costs about 17% more than Nea Smyrni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Budapest and Nea Smyrni sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Nea Smyrni by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,492

$11.28 €10.02

23.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.7K

$57.6 €51.2

6.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,284

$9.01 €8.00

13.10%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,052

$4.01 €3.56

-18.70%

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

$2.14 Ft 689

$2.33 €2.07

-8.15%

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

$4.45 €3.95

-16.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,215

$5.04 €4.47

-25.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 370

$1.59 €1.41

-27.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 576

$1.43 €1.27

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 802

$2.38 €2.12

4.62%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,258

$4.89 €4.34

-20.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,579

$11.18 €9.93

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,134

$9.64 €8.56

-31.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,734

$14.14 €12.56

3.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 590

$2.21 €1.96

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 660

$2.06 €1.83

-0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 764

$1.42 €1.26

66.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,257

$1.97 €1.75

97.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.06 €0.94

-6.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 321

$1.16 €1.03

-13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.91 €0.81

73.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 215

$0.89 €0.79

-24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,566

$5.03 €4.46

58.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,004

$6.80 €6.04

-8.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 410

$1.66 €1.47

-23.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 653

$2.28 €2.02

-10.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 489

$1.34 €1.19

13.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,032

$50.5 €44.85

-44.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,067

$4.45 €3.95

-25.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 441

$0.99 €0.88

38.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,391

$14.00 €12.43

41.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 587

$2.17 €1.93

-16.13%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$27.8K €24.7K

7.19%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$22.9K €20.4K

47.55%

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

$171 Ft 55.2K

$208 €185

-17.71%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,579

$24.47 €21.73

-3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,508

$29.53 €26.23

-21.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$56.1 €49.79

20.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,090

$23.57 €20.93

-19.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 2,997

$8.70 €7.73

6.90%

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

$533 Ft 171.9K

$482 €428

10.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,488 €3,986

273.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.1K

$70.1 €62.3

42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$35.54 €31.57

22.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.6K

$76.3 €67.7

44.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.3K

$107 €95.2

11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 267.7K

$479 €425

73.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.5K

$377 €335

64.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 513.7K

$748 €664

113.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 377.2K

$565 €502

107.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,807 €2,493

107.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,171 €1,928

79.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 532.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.36

47.94%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nea Smyrni: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Nea Smyrni

$377 27.2% 39.4% $245

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Nea Smyrni

$269 19.4% 4.1% $11

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Nea Smyrni

$209 15.1% 6.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Nea Smyrni

$262 18.9% 20.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Nea Smyrni

$130 9.4% 22.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Nea Smyrni

$73 5.3% 14.7% $13

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Nea Smyrni

$65 4.7% 47.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $479 in Nea Smyrni. 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 $58.0 in Nea Smyrni. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $269 in Nea Smyrni – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇷 Nea Smyrni

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

73,076

💱 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 Nea Smyrni 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Nea Smyrni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,079 in Nea Smyrni. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 80% less in Nea Smyrni. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $482 in Nea Smyrni. 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 Nea Smyrni, where all-in costs run around $1,386, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Nea Smyrni it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nea Smyrni – 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 Nea Smyrni. 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.