Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
Learn more

Qatif Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Qatif

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,102 in Qatif, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Qatif $1,102

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,642 in Qatif, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Qatif $1,642

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,183 in Qatif, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Qatif $2,183

Budapest costs about 47% more than Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Qatif is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$3.48 SAR 13.07

300.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$34.45 SAR 129

77.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.59 SAR 24.75

54.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.15 SAR 11.81

3.49%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.78 SAR 2.92

174.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.20 SAR 0.76

790.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.81 SAR 6.78

-36.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.97 SAR 3.63

84.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.86 SAR 6.96

33.87%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.12 SAR 7.94

83.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$5.96 SAR 22.35

86.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$7.77 SAR 29.16

-14.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$12.73 SAR 47.77

15.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.20 SAR 8.25

-16.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.70 SAR 6.36

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.58 SAR 5.94

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.69 SAR 2.59

465.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.12 SAR 4.19

-11.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.15 SAR 4.32

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.97 SAR 3.66

62.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.55 SAR 2.06

21.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SAR 5.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 7.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$6.24 SAR 23.42

27.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.10 SAR 4.13

38.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$36.81 SAR 138

-23.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.42 SAR 9.09

36.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.55 SAR 2.07

149.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$13.11 SAR 49.19

51.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.62 SAR 2.34

193.55%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$35.9K SAR 134.6K

-16.93%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$20.7K SAR 77.8K

63.04%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$107 SAR 400

60.40%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$32.52 SAR 122

-27.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$58.1 SAR 218

-59.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$81.9 SAR 307

-17.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$21.75 SAR 81.6

-13.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$13.33 SAR 50.0

-30.23%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$268 SAR 1,005

99.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$8,092 SAR 30.4K

107.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$31.99 SAR 120

211.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$21.32 SAR 80.0

103.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$96.9 SAR 364

13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$90.0 SAR 338

32.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$575 SAR 2,159

44.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$367 SAR 1,375

69.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$832 SAR 3,121

91.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$573 SAR 2,151

104.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$976 SAR 3,663

497.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$790 SAR 2,963

392.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$2,275 SAR 8,537

-27.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.5

17.27%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Qatif

$367 33.3% 41.1% $255

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Qatif

$186 16.9% 28% $72

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Qatif

$89 8.1% 59.9% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Qatif

$197 17.9% 9.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 35.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Qatif

$109 9.9% 26% $22

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 4.9% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $575 in Qatif. 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 38% higher in Qatif, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $34.00 in Qatif. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $186 – making Qatif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

20:28 8:28 PM

21:28 9:28 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

87,332

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Qatif 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 47%, 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 $1,653 in Qatif. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 31% less in Qatif. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $268 in Qatif. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Qatif, where all-in costs run around $1,102, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Qatif it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qatif – 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 Qatif. 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.