Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Rosh HaAyin

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,919 in Rosh HaAyin, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Rosh HaAyin
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,919
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Rosh HaAyin

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $2,919 in Rosh HaAyin, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Rosh HaAyin $2,919

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $4,429 in Rosh HaAyin, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Rosh HaAyin $4,429

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $5,939 in Rosh HaAyin, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Rosh HaAyin $5,939

Budapest is about 45% cheaper than Rosh HaAyin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Rosh HaAyin sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Rosh HaAyin by 116%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$37.50 ₪117
-62.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$139 ₪433
-56.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$27.18 ₪84.6
-62.51%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$5.78 ₪17.98
-43.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$3.26 ₪10.16
-34.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$3.33 ₪10.36
-46.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$10.12 ₪31.49
-63.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$11.27 ₪35.05
-66.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$2.66 ₪8.27
-56.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.99 ₪6.20
-10.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$3.20 ₪9.95
-22.19%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$5.35 ₪16.65
-27.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$16.24 ₪50.5
-59.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$19.91 ₪61.9
-26.22%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$5.43 ₪16.90
-66.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$4.65 ₪14.48
-55.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$3.23 ₪10.04
-26.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$3.83 ₪11.91
1.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$3.28 ₪10.21
-69.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$2.38 ₪7.40
-57.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$4.19 ₪13.04
-62.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$1.48 ₪4.60
-54.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$10.91 ₪33.95
-27.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$16.49 ₪51.3
-62.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$3.55 ₪11.04
-64.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.84 ₪8.82
-28.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$2.35 ₪7.30
-35.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$87.7 ₪273
-68.05%
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
$2.66 ₪8.29
-31.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$59.1K ₪183.8K
-49.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$60.6K ₪188.4K
-44.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$651 ₪2,026
-73.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$12.71 ₪39.53
84.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$40.78 ₪127
-42.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$82.9 ₪258
-18.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$16.55 ₪51.5
-43.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$1,365 ₪4,245
-60.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$113 ₪351
-11.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$129 ₪401
-66.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$145 ₪450
-23.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$964 ₪2,999
-13.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$863 ₪2,686
-27.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$1,881 ₪5,853
-15.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$1,636 ₪5,089
-28.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$10.3K ₪32.0K
-43.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$5,755 ₪17.9K
-32.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Rosh HaAyin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$3,310 ₪10.3K
-50.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
5.87
9.88%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rosh HaAyin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Rosh HaAyin
$863 38.8% $241
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Rosh HaAyin
$414 * 60.6% $156
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Rosh HaAyin
$550 147% $327
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Rosh HaAyin
$705 223% $487
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Rosh HaAyin
$174 * 3.8% $6.3
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Rosh HaAyin
$116 34.7% $30
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Rosh HaAyin
$97 * 120% $53

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 $964 in Rosh HaAyin. 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 100% higher in Rosh HaAyin, 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 $139 in Rosh HaAyin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $414 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇮🇱 Rosh HaAyin
🕒 Local time
01:51 1:51 AM
02:51 2:51 AM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
72,881
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Rosh HaAyin 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Rosh HaAyin

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 Rosh HaAyin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rosh HaAyin cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Rosh HaAyin is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $4,379 in Rosh HaAyin. 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 Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 213% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $1,365 in Rosh HaAyin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Rosh HaAyin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Rosh HaAyin at $2,919. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rosh HaAyin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Rosh HaAyin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Rosh HaAyin?
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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rosh HaAyin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Budapest vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?