Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Puerto Varas

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Varas: $1,130 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Puerto Varas
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Puerto Varas

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,130 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Puerto Varas $1,130

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,624 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Puerto Varas $1,624

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,118 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Puerto Varas $2,118

Budapest costs about 43% more than Puerto Varas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Puerto Varas is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$12.47 CLP 12.3K
11.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$41.05 CLP 40.4K
49.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$7.58 CLP 7,462
34.43%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$3.28 CLP 3,231
-0.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$0.99 CLP 977
116.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.80 CLP 785
122.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.09 CLP 1,077
5.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.86 CLP 1,830
-3.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.61 CLP 1,582
54.66%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$3.11 CLP 3,062
25.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$8.61 CLP 8,476
28.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$4.68 CLP 4,609
41.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$8.50 CLP 8,372
72.82%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$1.78 CLP 1,751
2.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.95 CLP 1,922
5.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$2.61 CLP 2,565
-9.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$1.89 CLP 1,862
106.35%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$1.50 CLP 1,480
-34.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$1.25 CLP 1,230
-20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.32 CLP 1,296
19.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$1.13 CLP 1,117
-40.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$4.96 CLP 4,884
60.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$4.63 CLP 4,557
34.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.40 CLP 1,379
-9.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$1.25 CLP 1,226
62.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$1.10 CLP 1,078
38.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$255 CLP 251.2K
-32.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$16.06 CLP 15.8K
46.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$30.89 CLP 30.4K
118.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$488 CLP 480.6K
9.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$6,137 CLP 6.0M
173.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$20.37 CLP 20.1K
389.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$15.32 CLP 15.1K
183.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$61.1 CLP 60.1K
80.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$623 CLP 612.8K
33.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$402 CLP 396.0K
54.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$819 CLP 805.9K
94.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$619 CLP 609.7K
88.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Puerto Varas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$532 CLP 523.5K
210.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
0
-

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Puerto Varas
$402 35.3% $220
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Puerto Varas
$208 19.2% $50
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Puerto Varas
$169 * 24.2% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Puerto Varas
$271 * 24.5% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Puerto Varas
$44 * 74% $124
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Puerto Varas
$31 * 64.1% $55
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Puerto Varas
$4.4 * 90.1% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $623 in Puerto Varas. 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 210% 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 $41.00 in Puerto Varas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $208 – making Puerto Varas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇨🇱 Puerto Varas
🕒 Local time
07:54 7:54 AM
02:54 2:54 AM
5 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
41,255
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Puerto Varas 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Puerto Varas

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 Puerto Varas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Puerto Varas cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,694 in Puerto Varas. 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 Puerto Varas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Puerto Varas?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $41.00 in Puerto Varas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Puerto Varas?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Puerto Varas?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Varas, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Puerto Varas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Puerto Varas more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Puerto Varas – 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 Puerto Varas?
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 Puerto Varas. 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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