Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Panglao

For one person, living is cheaper in Panglao: $817 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Panglao
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Panglao Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Panglao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Panglao

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $817 in Panglao, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Panglao $817

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,137 in Panglao, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Panglao $1,137

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,456 in Panglao, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Panglao $1,456

Budapest costs about 98% more than Panglao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Panglao is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.08 ₱194

352.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$23.75 ₱1,495

157.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$3.94 ₱248

158.63%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.27 ₱143

43.61%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.60 ₱101

33.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.53 ₱33.19

235.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.55 ₱97.6

139.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.90 ₱119

98.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.59 ₱100

-27.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.13 ₱70.9

58.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.94 ₱59.2

164.89%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.79 ₱113

117.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.58 ₱540

29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.61 ₱290

43.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$7.62 ₱480

92.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.92 ₱121

-4.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.39 ₱87.5

47.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.87 ₱118

26.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.53 ₱96.1

154.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.41 ₱152

-58.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.96 ₱123

-48.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.14 ₱71.8

38.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.47 ₱29.49

42.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.91 ₱183

173.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.70 ₱359

9.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.79 ₱49.65

60.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.56 ₱97.9

30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.23 ₱14.60

560.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$11.32 ₱713

147.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.73 ₱46.14

353.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.23 ₱14.53

495.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$1.94 ₱122

922.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.90 ₱57.0

102.22%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

40.50%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

76.00%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$58.9 ₱3,711

190.33%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$6.75 ₱425

248.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$24.52 ₱1,544

-5.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$20.96 ₱1,320

222.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$4.71 ₱297

301.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$3.92 ₱247

137.24%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$135 ₱8,504

294.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,988 ₱502.9K

109.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$32.48 ₱2,045

206.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$19.59 ₱1,233

122.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$66.4 ₱4,183

66.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$47.63 ₱2,999

149.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$280 ₱17.7K

196.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$343 ₱21.6K

81.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$567 ₱35.7K

181.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$390 ₱24.6K

199.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$947 ₱59.6K

515.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,014 ₱63.8K

283.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.2

-10.42%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Panglao: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Panglao

$343 42% 44.8% $279

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Panglao

$183 22.3% 29.2% $75

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Panglao

$84 10.3% 62.4% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Panglao

$90 11% 58.6% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Panglao

$75 9.2% 55.4% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Panglao

$29 3.5% 66.6% $57

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Panglao

$14 1.7% 68.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $280 in Panglao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $24.00 in Panglao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $183 – making Panglao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇭 Panglao

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

39,839

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Panglao 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Panglao

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 Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 98%, 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 $1,226 in Panglao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 148% less in Panglao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $135 in Panglao. 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 Panglao, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Panglao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Panglao – 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 Panglao. 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.