Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Otsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,300 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
Learn more

Otsu Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Otsu

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,300 in Otsu, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Otsu $1,300

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,886 in Otsu, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Otsu $1,886

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,472 in Otsu, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Otsu $2,472

Budapest costs about 25% more than Otsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Otsu is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.63 ¥1,364

61.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$32.03 ¥5,061

91.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.00 ¥790

103.80%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.24 ¥511

0.62%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.23 ¥195

73.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.88 ¥139

102.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.17 ¥501

17.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$4.29 ¥678

-12.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.51 ¥239

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.54 ¥243

16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$4.52 ¥714

-44.91%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.12 ¥334

83.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$15.86 ¥2,506

-30.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.89 ¥1,089

-3.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$17.02 ¥2,689

-13.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$4.90 ¥775

-62.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.47 ¥390

-17.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$4.88 ¥771

-51.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$4.36 ¥689

-10.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.18 ¥344

-54.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.92 ¥303

-47.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.14 ¥181

38.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.94 ¥149

-28.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.89 ¥614

104.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$9.69 ¥1,530

-35.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.96 ¥310

-35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.17 ¥343

-6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.49 ¥235

2.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$52.6 ¥8,303

-46.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.13 ¥494

5.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$2.80 ¥442

-51.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$28.90 ¥4,566

-31.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.07 ¥169

70.09%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

38.07%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

122.02%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$115 ¥18.2K

48.57%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$23.03 ¥3,639

2.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$30.88 ¥4,878

-24.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$51.2 ¥8,082

32.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$9.67 ¥1,528

95.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$12.33 ¥1,948

-24.57%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$569 ¥89.9K

-6.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$12.4K ¥2.0M

35.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$56.7 ¥8,955

75.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$35.70 ¥5,639

21.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$69.3 ¥10.9K

59.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$98.8 ¥15.6K

20.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$450 ¥71.1K

84.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$376 ¥59.4K

65.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$625 ¥98.7K

154.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$461 ¥72.8K

153.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$4,259 ¥672.9K

36.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,749 ¥276.3K

122.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,814 ¥286.6K

-8.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.1

207.14%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Otsu

$376 28.9% 39.6% $246

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Otsu

$331 25.4% 28.2% $73

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Otsu

$156 12% 30.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Otsu

$169 13% 22.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Otsu

$117 9% 30.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Otsu

$76 5.8% 12% $10

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Otsu

$76 5.8% 70.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $450 in Otsu. 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 10% higher in Otsu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $32.00 in Otsu. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $331 in Otsu – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇵 Otsu

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

17:25 5:25 PM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

341,314

💱 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 →

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Budapest Otsu 8,900 km ≈ 12 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 25%, 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 $1,950 in Otsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 88% less in Otsu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $569 in Otsu. 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 Otsu, where all-in costs run around $1,300, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Otsu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Otsu – 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 Otsu. 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.