Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Portsmouth

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $929 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Portsmouth $929

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,626 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Portsmouth $1,626

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,323 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Portsmouth $2,323

Budapest costs about 74% more than Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Portsmouth is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$5.50 EC$14.84

154.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$56.2 EC$152

7.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$6.83 EC$18.44

45.83%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.67 EC$7.20

26.59%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$2.19 EC$5.91

-2.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.87 EC$5.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.53 EC$6.84

48.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$3.73 EC$10.07

-4.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$2.86 EC$7.72

-60.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.23 EC$6.03

-17.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.01 EC$5.43

18.91%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$6.50 EC$17.55

-41.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$2.66 EC$7.17

325.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$5.48 EC$14.80

22.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$7.21 EC$19.46

-74.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.57 EC$6.93

-21.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$4.00 EC$10.81

-41.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$4.14 EC$11.17

-8.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$2.90 EC$7.84

-66.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.78 EC$7.51

-62.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.82 EC$4.91

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.90 EC$5.13

-65.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$11.32 EC$30.56

-46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.87 EC$5.06

-30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.67 EC$7.20

-22.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.75 EC$2.03

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$3.67 EC$9.90

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$3.68 EC$9.93

-64.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$40.78 EC$110

-41.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$63.9 EC$172

-63.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$36.97 EC$99.8

79.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$11.11 EC$30.01

-14.31%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$55.9 EC$151

81.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$23.90 EC$64.5

79.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$56.0 EC$151

101.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$65.9 EC$178

80.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$258 EC$696

212.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$223 EC$602

182.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$670 EC$1,808

131.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$617 EC$1,667

89.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$626 EC$1,691

159.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $258 in Portsmouth. 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 160% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $56.0 in Portsmouth. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $290 in Portsmouth – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

14:38 2:38 PM

08:38 8:38 AM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

3,633

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Portsmouth 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,394 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $56.0 in Portsmouth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Portsmouth, where all-in costs run around $929, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Portsmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Portsmouth – 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 Portsmouth. 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.