Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Saar

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,978 in Saar, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Saar

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,978 in Saar, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Saar $1,978

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,743 in Saar, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Saar $2,743

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,508 in Saar, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Saar $3,508

Budapest is about 18% cheaper than Saar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Budapest and Saar sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Saar by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$10.76 BHD 4.06

30.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$33.59 BHD 12.68

79.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$10.75 BHD 4.06

-7.35%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$5.78 BHD 2.18

-41.52%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.72 BHD 0.65

23.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.02 BHD 0.38

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$6.08 BHD 2.29

-38.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$9.06 BHD 3.42

-60.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.67 BHD 0.63

-32.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.36 BHD 0.51

35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.61 BHD 0.99

-8.43%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.61 BHD 0.99

46.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$13.33 BHD 5.03

-15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$6.71 BHD 2.53

0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$15.97 BHD 6.03

-8.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$4.02 BHD 1.52

-54.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.41 BHD 0.91

-16.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$3.61 BHD 1.36

-34.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.04 BHD 0.77

84.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.69 BHD 0.26

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.70 BHD 0.64

-39.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.78 BHD 0.29

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$26.77 BHD 10.10

-77.55%

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

$0.79 BHD 0.30

89.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$5.28 BHD 1.99

-37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.59 BHD 0.22

206.78%

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

$131 BHD 49.37

29.92%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$32.39 BHD 12.22

-27.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$159 BHD 60.2

-58.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$106 BHD 40.06

-81.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$15.43 BHD 5.82

-38.30%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$552 BHD 208

-2.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$7,939 BHD 2,996

109.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$91.1 BHD 34.37

11.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$39.31 BHD 14.83

9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$104 BHD 39.31

8.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$105 BHD 39.67

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,301 BHD 491

-38.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$940 BHD 355

-33.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$2,098 BHD 792

-26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,176 BHD 444

-0.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,172 BHD 820

82.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$2,368 BHD 894

-31.34%

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 Saar: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Saar

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Saar

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Saar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Saar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Saar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Saar

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Saar

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $1,301 in Saar. 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 46% higher in Saar, 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 $34.00 in Saar. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $300 in Saar – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇭 Saar

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

10:00 10:00 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, 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).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.423 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Saar 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Saar

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 Saar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saar is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,967 in Saar. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $34.00 in Saar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Saar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Saar at $1,978. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saar 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, Saar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.