Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Pachuca

For one person, living is cheaper in Pachuca: $886 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Pachuca
Learn more

Pachuca Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Pachuca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Pachuca

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $886 in Pachuca, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Pachuca $886

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,483 in Pachuca, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Pachuca $1,483

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,079 in Pachuca, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Pachuca $2,079

Budapest costs about 83% more than Pachuca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Pachuca is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$4.80 MX$88.8

190.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$26.48 MX$489

131.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$8.03 MX$148

26.90%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.09 MX$57.0

5.50%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.16 MX$21.50

84.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.82 MX$15.16

117.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.61 MX$29.79

130.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.36 MX$62.2

12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.58 MX$29.20

-27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.54 MX$46.99

-29.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.89 MX$34.93

31.75%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.72 MX$50.4

43.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.22 MX$133

53.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.74 MX$87.5

39.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$7.44 MX$138

97.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.08 MX$38.53

-12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.29 MX$23.82

58.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.52 MX$28.10

55.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.62 MX$29.91

140.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.53 MX$28.33

-35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.34 MX$24.70

-25.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.93 MX$17.14

69.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.94 MX$17.46

-28.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.33 MX$80.0

83.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.19 MX$151

-24.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.39 MX$25.71

-8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.49 MX$46.08

-18.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.57 MX$10.52

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$26.85 MX$496

4.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.63 MX$48.55

25.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$2.62 MX$48.34

-47.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$11.11 MX$205

78.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.38 MX$25.51

31.88%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.4K MX$395.5K

39.23%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$23.5K MX$433.6K

44.11%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$47.05 MX$869

263.70%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$19.21 MX$355

22.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$22.45 MX$415

3.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$23.51 MX$434

187.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$10.99 MX$203

71.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.30 MX$79.4

116.28%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$165 MX$3,049

223.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,599 MX$48.0K

544.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$53.2 MX$983

87.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$40.32 MX$745

7.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$94.8 MX$1,751

16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$77.4 MX$1,430

53.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$400 MX$7,386

107.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$269 MX$4,963

131.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$603 MX$11.1K

164.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$688 MX$12.7K

70.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$728 MX$13.5K

701.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$638 MX$11.8K

509.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$663 MX$12.2K

149.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

10.8

-40.28%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Pachuca

$269 30.3% 56.8% $353

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Pachuca

$210 23.7% 18.5% $48

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Pachuca

$122 13.8% 45.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Pachuca

$89 10% 59.3% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Pachuca

$120 13.5% 28.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Pachuca

$32 3.6% 62.7% $54

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Pachuca

$45 5.1% 1.4% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $400 in Pachuca. 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 149% 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 $26.00 in Pachuca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $210 – making Pachuca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 Pachuca

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

297,848

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Pachuca 10,280 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Pachuca

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 Pachuca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 83%, 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 $1,330 in Pachuca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 4% less in Pachuca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $165 in Pachuca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pachuca, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Pachuca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pachuca – 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 Pachuca. 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.