Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Palma Soriano

For one person, living costs are similar in Budapest and in Palma Soriano: $1,619 and $1,552 a month, rent and utilities included.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Palma Soriano
🇨🇺 Cuba
$1,552
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Palma Soriano

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,552 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Palma Soriano $1,552

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,866 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Palma Soriano $1,866

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,180 in Palma Soriano, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Palma Soriano $2,180

Budapest costs about 4% more than Palma Soriano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Budapest and Palma Soriano sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Palma Soriano by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$5.05 CUP 121
176.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$25.36 CUP 609
141.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$5.15 CUP 124
97.86%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$3.11 CUP 74.6
4.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$1.29 CUP 30.86
65.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.91 CUP 21.94
95.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$3.04 CUP 72.9
22.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$2.42 CUP 58.0
55.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.98 CUP 47.48
-41.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.49 CUP 35.65
20.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$0.98 CUP 23.44
154.08%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$1.17 CUP 28.04
233.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$6.12 CUP 147
81.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$6.09 CUP 146
8.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$11.06 CUP 266
32.82%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$1.83 CUP 43.94
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.19 CUP 28.45
72.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$1.48 CUP 35.60
60.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$1.47 CUP 35.35
165.31%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.98 CUP 23.44
1.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$0.97 CUP 23.33
3.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.01 CUP 24.33
56.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$1.08 CUP 25.83
-37.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$2.95 CUP 70.9
169.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$10.08 CUP 242
-38.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$3.08 CUP 73.9
-58.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.03 CUP 48.75
-
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.26 CUP 6.26
484.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$29.79 CUP 715
-5.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$1.85 CUP 44.30
78.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.36 CUP 8.74
280.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$13.10 CUP 314
51.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.18 CUP 28.37
54.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$66.0K CUP 1.6M
-54.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$47.3K CUP 1.1M
-28.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$55.4 CUP 1,331
208.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$10.01 CUP 240
134.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$150 CUP 3,590
-84.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$40.30 CUP 967
67.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$10.06 CUP 242
87.77%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$1.03 CUP 24.64
802.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$100 CUP 2,402
432.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$12.2K CUP 292.6K
37.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$63.7 CUP 1,530
56.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$35.61 CUP 855
22.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$84.1 CUP 2,019
31.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$110 CUP 2,647
7.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$896 CUP 21.5K
-7.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$790 CUP 18.9K
-21.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$744 CUP 17.9K
114.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$647 CUP 15.5K
80.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$323 CUP 7,745
1707.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$326 CUP 7,826
1092.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Palma Soriano
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$40.28 CUP 967
3999.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
8.33
-22.57%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Palma Soriano: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Palma Soriano
$790 27% $168
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Palma Soriano
$216 16.2% $42
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Palma Soriano
$122 45.3% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Palma Soriano
$215 1.3% $2.9
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Palma Soriano
$132 21.1% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Palma Soriano
$42 50.8% $44
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Palma Soriano
$35 22% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $896 in Palma Soriano. 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 3999% 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 $25.00 in Palma Soriano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $216 – making Palma Soriano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇨🇺 Palma Soriano
🕒 Local time
22:14 10:14 PM
16:14 4:14 PM
6 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
74,930
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Palma Soriano 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Palma Soriano

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 Palma Soriano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Palma Soriano cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,328 in Palma Soriano. 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 Palma Soriano, 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 6% less in Palma Soriano. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $100 in Palma Soriano. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Palma Soriano?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Palma Soriano, where all-in costs run around $1,552, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Palma Soriano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Palma Soriano more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Palma Soriano – 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 Palma Soriano?
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 Palma Soriano. 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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