Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Palaio Faliro, Athens

For one person, living costs are similar in Budapest and in Palaio Faliro, Athens: $1,619 and $1,689 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Palaio Faliro, Athens
Learn more

Palaio Faliro, Athens Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Palaio Faliro, Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Palaio Faliro, Athens

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 Palaio Faliro, Athens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,689 in Palaio Faliro, Athens, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Palaio Faliro, Athens $1,689

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,619 in Palaio Faliro, Athens, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Palaio Faliro, Athens $2,619

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $3,549 in Palaio Faliro, Athens, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Palaio Faliro, Athens $3,549

Budapest is about 4% cheaper than Palaio Faliro, Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Palaio Faliro, Athens sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Palaio Faliro, Athens by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$12.69 €11.29

9.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$55.6 €49.45

10.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$10.19 €9.06

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.99 €2.66

9.03%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.44 €2.17

-12.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.50 €0.44

256.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$4.86 €4.33

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$5.22 €4.64

-27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.82 €1.61

-36.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.27 €1.13

40.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.11 €1.88

18.01%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.90 €2.58

34.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$16.09 €14.31

-31.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$12.42 €11.05

-46.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.89 €12.35

5.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.93 €1.71

-5.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.77 €1.57

15.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.22 €1.08

94.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.73 €1.54

125.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.91 €0.81

8.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.83 €0.74

20.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.81 €0.72

95.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.83 €0.74

-19.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$5.35 €4.76

48.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$12.47 €11.09

-50.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.92 €1.71

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.62 €2.33

-22.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.54 €1.37

-1.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$45.00 €40.03

-37.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$4.15 €3.69

-20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.18 €1.05

16.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$17.37 €15.45

14.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.94 €1.73

-6.19%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$27.5K €24.5K

8.24%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.5K €22.7K

32.70%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$209 €186

-18.13%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$31.96 €28.43

-26.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$29.60 €26.33

-21.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$50.6 €45.02

33.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$22.21 €19.75

-14.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$9.18 €8.17

1.31%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$427 €380

24.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,599 €6,759

120.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$84.4 €75.1

18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$39.77 €35.37

9.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$91.1 €81.0

21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$113 €100

5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$622 €553

33.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$632 €563

-1.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,444 €1,284

10.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$1,249 €1,111

-6.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,785 €2,477

109.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,625 €2,335

48.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$959 €853

72.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.46

44.62%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Palaio Faliro, Athens: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Palaio Faliro, Athens

$632 37.4% 1.7% $11

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Palaio Faliro, Athens

$294 17.4% 14% $36

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Palaio Faliro, Athens

$215 12.7% 3.8% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Palaio Faliro, Athens

$271 16% 24.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Palaio Faliro, Athens

$148 8.7% 12% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Palaio Faliro, Athens

$69 4.1% 19.9% $17

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Palaio Faliro, Athens

$61 3.6% 38.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $622 in Palaio Faliro, Athens. 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 72% higher in Budapest, 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 $56.0 in Palaio Faliro, Athens. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $294 in Palaio Faliro, Athens – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇷 Palaio Faliro, Athens

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

10:15 10:15 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

64,021

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Palaio Faliro, Athens 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Palaio Faliro, Athens

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 Palaio Faliro, Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Palaio Faliro, Athens is pricier by about 4%, 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 $2,534 in Palaio Faliro, Athens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 61% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $427 in Palaio Faliro, Athens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Palaio Faliro, Athens at $1,689. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Palaio Faliro, Athens it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Palaio Faliro, Athens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.