Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,768 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Riyadh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
Learn more

Riyadh Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Riyadh

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,768 in Riyadh, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Riyadh $1,768

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,557 in Riyadh, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Riyadh $2,557

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,345 in Riyadh, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Riyadh $3,345

Budapest is about 8% cheaper than Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Riyadh sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Riyadh by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$8.09 SAR 30.36

72.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$66.5 SAR 250

-9.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$8.11 SAR 30.47

22.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$4.34 SAR 16.31

-22.12%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.86 SAR 3.24

147.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.30 SAR 1.12

523.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-36.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.32 SAR 4.97

39.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.40 SAR 9.03

-0.42%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.06 SAR 11.48

25.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$10.63 SAR 39.91

6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$9.60 SAR 36.05

-29.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$14.98 SAR 56.3

-1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.80 SAR 10.51

-34.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.98 SAR 7.45

1.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.51 SAR 9.43

-5.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.80 SAR 6.75

109.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.18 SAR 4.45

-18.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.34 SAR 5.01

-23.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.79 SAR 6.70

-12.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.54 SAR 2.03

22.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.11 SAR 30.44

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$7.53 SAR 28.26

5.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.05 SAR 3.96

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$37.18 SAR 140

-25.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$3.29 SAR 12.35

0.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.91 SAR 7.19

-31.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$13.43 SAR 50.5

47.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.65 SAR 2.42

178.46%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$34.6K SAR 130.0K

-15.31%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$22.8K SAR 85.7K

49.36%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$106 SAR 397

60.84%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$29.10 SAR 109

-17.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$72.7 SAR 273

-67.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$91.4 SAR 343

-27.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$56.4 SAR 212

-65.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$13.20 SAR 49.58

-27.88%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$532 SAR 1,999

0.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

62.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$57.4 SAR 215

76.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$54.4 SAR 204

-21.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$105 SAR 393

7.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$106 SAR 397

12.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,211 SAR 4,547

-33.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$834 SAR 3,132

-24.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$2,223 SAR 8,346

-30.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,241 SAR 4,658

-5.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$3,011 SAR 11.3K

86.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,937 SAR 7,274

104.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$2,037 SAR 7,648

-20.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.54

16.06%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Riyadh

$834 47.7% 32.5% $205

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 5.9% $15

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Riyadh

$146 8.4% 35% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Riyadh

$208 11.9% 4.5% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Riyadh

$145 8.3% 14.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 38.2% $33

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 24.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $1,211 in Riyadh. 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 25% higher in Riyadh, 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 $66.0 in Riyadh. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $242 in Riyadh – so Riyadh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Riyadh 3,520 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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Riyadh is pricier by about 9%, 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 $2,652 in Riyadh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 35% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $532 in Riyadh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Riyadh at $1,768. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riyadh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riyadh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.