Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Paks

For one person, living is cheaper in Paks: $1,154 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Paks
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Paks Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Paks

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Paks

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,154 in Paks, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Paks $1,154

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $1,725 in Paks, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Paks $1,725

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,297 in Paks, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Paks $2,297

Budapest costs about 42% more than Paks, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Paks is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,552

$8.53 Ft 2,814

61.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

$30.18 Ft 9,948

103.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,349

$7.20 Ft 2,374

41.11%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,062

$0.88 Ft 290

265.91%

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

$2.06 Ft 680

$1.16 Ft 382

77.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 605

$0.85 Ft 279

115.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,188

$1.25 Ft 411

188.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,208

$1.94 Ft 640

88.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 392

$1.16 Ft 381

2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 617

$0.59 Ft 196

216.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 780

$2.35 Ft 776

0.85%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,305

$3.35 Ft 1,104

18.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,680

$10.84 Ft 3,574

2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,228

$6.35 Ft 2,093

6.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,731

$13.65 Ft 4,501

5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 596

$1.77 Ft 583

2.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 695

$2.04 Ft 673

3.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 770

$2.09 Ft 689

11.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,254

$3.84 Ft 1,267

-1.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 327

$0.53 Ft 176

86.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 324

$0.54 Ft 177

81.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 512

$1.51 Ft 498

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 230

$0.51 Ft 167

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,569

$7.71 Ft 2,543

1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,995

$5.94 Ft 1,959

1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 421

$1.22 Ft 402

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 672

$1.59 Ft 524

28.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 511

$1.23 Ft 407

26.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,995

$23.44 Ft 7,729

16.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,087

$3.10 Ft 1,021

6.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 433

$1.56 Ft 515

-16.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,679

$18.53 Ft 6,109

9.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 600

$1.90 Ft 626

-4.21%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

$32.4K Ft 10.7M

-11.45%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

$35.9K Ft 11.8M

-7.94%

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

$172 Ft 56.8K

$136 Ft 44.7K

27.05%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,897

$10.22 Ft 3,371

134.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,685

$11.80 Ft 3,890

97.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

$55.6 Ft 18.3K

23.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,235

$20.83 Ft 6,867

-9.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,356

$7.76 Ft 2,560

31.19%

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

$600 Ft 197.9K

$250 Ft 82.4K

140.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$7,365 Ft 2.4M

127.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

$89.7 Ft 29.6K

10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

$13.48 Ft 4,445

220.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.2K

$96.3 Ft 31.7K

17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.6K

$107 Ft 35.2K

9.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 275.6K

$520 Ft 171.5K

60.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 210.9K

$400 Ft 131.7K

60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

$744 Ft 245.2K

114.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

$644 Ft 212.2K

87.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

$3,225 Ft 1.1M

74.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

$2,533 Ft 835.2K

50.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

$1,255 Ft 413.7K

33.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.25

-21.82%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Paks: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Paks

$400 34.6% 37.6% $240

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Paks

$230 20% 10.9% $28

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Paks

$119 10.3% 46.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Paks

$158 13.7% 28.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Paks

$138 11.9% 17.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Paks

$71 6.2% 20% $18

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Paks

$39 3.4% 9.4% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $520 in Paks. 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 33% 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 in Budapest versus $30 in Paks. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $230 – making Paks the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Paks

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

17,917

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Budapest vs Paks: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $1,731 in Paks. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paks, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $520 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Paks. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $250 in Paks. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,638 in Budapest and $1,154 in Paks, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Paks – 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 Paks. 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.