Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Port Elizabeth

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Elizabeth: $1,182 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Port Elizabeth

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $1,182 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Port Elizabeth $1,182

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $1,939 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Port Elizabeth $1,939

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $2,696 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Port Elizabeth $2,696

Budapest costs about 39% more than Port Elizabeth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Port Elizabeth is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,443

$10.66 R 176

27.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.8K

$41.58 R 687

45.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,266

$6.04 R 99.9

65.89%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,084

$2.07 R 34.27

60.87%

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

$2.12 Ft 690

$1.06 R 17.50

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 586

$0.76 R 12.61

136.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,176

$2.65 R 43.76

36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,170

$3.18 R 52.5

12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 364

$1.13 R 18.72

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 628

$1.05 R 17.35

83.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 811

$1.50 R 24.73

66.00%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,286

$2.72 R 44.92

44.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,677

$8.83 R 146

27.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,195

$5.41 R 89.5

24.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,708

$8.27 R 137

74.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 606

$2.16 R 35.74

-13.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 664

$1.54 R 25.48

32.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 746

$1.70 R 28.16

34.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,301

$1.80 R 29.81

121.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 307

$1.73 R 28.53

-45.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 333

$1.42 R 23.53

-28.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 539

$1.30 R 21.41

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 222

$0.99 R 16.30

-31.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,547

$3.19 R 52.7

144.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,963

$4.95 R 81.9

21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 421

$1.26 R 20.76

2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 660

$1.82 R 30.01

10.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 488

$1.09 R 18.09

37.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,842

$36.03 R 596

-24.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,094

$2.11 R 34.87

59.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 448

$0.47 R 7.77

191.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,505

$8.51 R 141

134.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 608

$1.53 R 25.30

21.57%

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

$28.5K Ft 9.3M

$34.7K R 572.9K

-17.73%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.9M

$34.3K R 566.2K

-2.55%

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

$178 Ft 58.1K

$123 R 2,035

44.70%

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

$23.58 Ft 7,686

$34.77 R 575

-32.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,861

$44.39 R 734

-45.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.7K

$31.97 R 528

117.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,551

$23.16 R 383

-26.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,416

$10.47 R 173

0.10%

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

$625 Ft 203.8K

$178 R 2,942

251.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

$6,168 R 101.9K

218.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.3K

$70.9 R 1,173

43.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.2K

$39.13 R 647

10.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$112 R 1,854

-2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.3K

$98.0 R 1,620

23.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 275.5K

$502 R 8,291

68.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 208.1K

$385 R 6,370

65.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 524.4K

$951 R 15.7K

69.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 396.7K

$932 R 15.4K

30.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

$757 R 12.5K

633.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

$534 R 8,834

629.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 562.1K

$1,624 R 26.9K

6.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.94

-46.90%

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Port Elizabeth

$385 32.6% 39.6% $253

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Port Elizabeth

$198 16.7% 23.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Port Elizabeth

$202 17.1% 10.4% $24

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Port Elizabeth

$155 13.1% 29.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Port Elizabeth

$144 12.2% 14.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Port Elizabeth

$53 4.5% 41.6% $38

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Port Elizabeth

$45 3.8% 3.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $502 in Port Elizabeth. 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 6% 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 $42 in Port Elizabeth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $198 – making Port Elizabeth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🕒 Local time

16:20 4:20 PM

17:20 5:20 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,050,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.05 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 366 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.56 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Port Elizabeth 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $1,774 in Port Elizabeth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Elizabeth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $502 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Budapest and $178 in Port Elizabeth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,647 in Budapest and $1,182 in Port Elizabeth. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Port Elizabeth – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Port Elizabeth. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.