Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Obihiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Obihiro: $1,213 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,641
/mo nomad
Obihiro
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,213
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Obihiro

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,213 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,641
  • Obihiro $1,213

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,909 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,562
  • Obihiro $1,909

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,605 in Obihiro, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,483
  • Obihiro $2,605

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

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Obihiro is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.04 Ft 4,536
$7.85 ¥1,241
78.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 Ft 19.7K
$31.69 ¥5,007
92.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 Ft 3,351
$5.09 ¥804
103.73%
Cappuccino
$3.46 Ft 1,117
$3.01 ¥475
14.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 Ft 669
$1.20 ¥189
72.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 Ft 572
$1.63 ¥257
8.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 Ft 1,191
$2.67 ¥421
38.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 Ft 1,229
$3.07 ¥485
23.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 Ft 374
$1.52 ¥239
-23.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 Ft 598
$1.54 ¥243
20.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.40 Ft 776
$4.25 ¥672
-43.53%
Eggs
$3.99 Ft 1,289
$2.08 ¥329
91.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 Ft 3,683
$10.14 ¥1,602
12.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.87 Ft 2,221
$6.60 ¥1,043
4.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.49 Ft 4,682
$16.76 ¥2,648
-13.54%
Apples (1kg)
$1.88 Ft 607
$3.67 ¥580
-48.77%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 Ft 693
$2.36 ¥373
-9.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 Ft 744
$2.92 ¥462
-21.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.04 Ft 1,304
$4.28 ¥677
-5.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 Ft 329
$2.48 ¥392
-58.87%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$2.45 ¥387
-59.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 510
$1.28 ¥202
23.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 Ft 225
$0.80 ¥126
-12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.03 Ft 2,594
$3.84 ¥607
109.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 Ft 1,997
$6.64 ¥1,050
-6.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 Ft 401
$1.88 ¥297
-34.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 Ft 666
$2.16 ¥341
-4.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 Ft 513
$1.44 ¥228
10.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.52 Ft 8,893
$52.6 ¥8,309
-47.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 Ft 1,110
$3.07 ¥485
11.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 Ft 431
$2.80 ¥442
-52.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.45 Ft 6,607
$18.38 ¥2,904
11.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 Ft 624
$1.10 ¥175
75.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K Ft 9.4M
$21.2K ¥3.3M
37.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K Ft 11.2M
$14.9K ¥2.4M
132.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$175 Ft 56.4K
$134 ¥21.2K
30.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.62 Ft 7,631
$24.54 ¥3,877
-3.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.60 Ft 7,625
$30.44 ¥4,809
-22.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.8 Ft 22.2K
$52.4 ¥8,280
31.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.26 Ft 6,224
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.31 Ft 3,333
$12.14 ¥1,918
-15.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$535 Ft 172.9K
$514 ¥81.2K
4.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$12.7K ¥2.0M
32.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.9 Ft 32.3K
$49.05 ¥7,750
103.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.27 Ft 14.0K
$31.43 ¥4,966
37.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 Ft 36.1K
$61.4 ¥9,700
81.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$88.1 ¥13.9K
35.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$832 Ft 268.8K
$527 ¥83.3K
57.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 203.3K
$334 ¥52.7K
88.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 Ft 512.4K
$1,122 ¥177.2K
41.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 Ft 386.6K
$729 ¥115.1K
64.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,718 Ft 1.8M
$4,177 ¥660.0K
36.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,947 Ft 1.3M
$1,784 ¥281.9K
121.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Obihiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,712 Ft 553.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
2.21
191.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Obihiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Obihiro
$334 47% $295
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$262
Obihiro
$289 10.5% $28
Eating Out
Budapest
$226
Obihiro
$145 36% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$222
Obihiro
$189 14.8% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Obihiro
$103 38.5% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$89
Obihiro
$77 14.3% $13
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Obihiro
$75 71.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $527 in Obihiro. 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 $32.00 in Obihiro. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $289 in Obihiro – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇯🇵 Obihiro
🕒 Local time
16:15 4:15 PM
23:15 11:15 PM
7 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
166,536
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Obihiro 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Obihiro

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 Obihiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Obihiro cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,819 in Obihiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Obihiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 91% less in Obihiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $514 in Obihiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Obihiro?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Obihiro, where all-in costs run around $1,213, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Obihiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Obihiro more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Obihiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Obihiro?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Obihiro. 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.

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