Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sabratha

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabratha: $404 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Budapest, Hungary
Sabratha, Libya
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,647
/mo nomad
Sabratha
🇱🇾 Libya
$404
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sabratha

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $404 in Sabratha, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,647
  • Sabratha $404

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $592 in Sabratha, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,567
  • Sabratha $592

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $780 in Sabratha, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,488
  • Sabratha $780

Budapest costs about 308% more than Sabratha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Sabratha is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.63 Ft 4,419
$3.03 LYD 19.38
349.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.7 Ft 19.7K
$9.09 LYD 58.1
567.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 Ft 3,248
$1.53 LYD 9.80
554.90%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.60 LYD 3.85
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.73 LYD 4.66
-
Cappuccino
$3.33 Ft 1,078
$0.44 LYD 2.80
656.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 Ft 686
$0.30 LYD 1.91
606.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 Ft 583
$0.07 LYD 0.46
2471.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.61 Ft 1,169
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 Ft 1,163
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 Ft 362
$0.96 LYD 6.13
16.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.93 Ft 624
$0.24 LYD 1.54
704.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 806
$1.08 LYD 6.87
130.56%
Eggs
$3.94 Ft 1,278
$1.36 LYD 8.67
189.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.28 Ft 3,656
$5.02 LYD 32.07
124.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.73 Ft 2,183
$3.47 LYD 22.19
93.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.44 Ft 4,682
$9.41 LYD 60.1
53.45%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 Ft 603
$2.00 LYD 12.78
-7.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 Ft 660
$1.43 LYD 9.11
42.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.29 Ft 742
$0.69 LYD 4.40
231.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 Ft 1,294
$0.52 LYD 3.34
667.31%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 Ft 305
$0.49 LYD 3.15
91.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 Ft 331
$0.30 LYD 1.91
240.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 Ft 536
$0.32 LYD 2.05
415.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 Ft 221
$0.14 LYD 0.89
385.71%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.77 LYD 11.30
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.93 LYD 5.92
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.84 LYD 5.35
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.81 Ft 2,533
$1.84 LYD 11.74
324.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.02 Ft 1,952
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 Ft 419
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 Ft 656
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 Ft 485
$0.77 LYD 4.89
94.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.13 Ft 8,792
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.36 Ft 1,088
$0.82 LYD 5.21
309.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 445
$0.30 LYD 1.89
356.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.96 Ft 6,468
$0.80 LYD 5.09
2395.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 Ft 604
$0.02 LYD 0.13
9200.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K Ft 9.2M
$23.2K LYD 148.3K
22.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K Ft 10.8M
$20.9K LYD 133.2K
60.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 Ft 57.8K
$93.2 LYD 595
91.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.58 Ft 7,643
$3.97 LYD 25.35
493.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.12 Ft 7,817
$13.94 LYD 89.0
73.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.7 Ft 22.6K
$11.08 LYD 70.8
528.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.03 Ft 5,520
$7.94 LYD 50.7
114.48%
Cinema Ticket
$10.48 Ft 3,397
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$625 Ft 202.6K
$39.21 LYD 250
1494.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K Ft 6.4M
$922 LYD 5,891
2029.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 Ft 33.1K
$19.11 LYD 122
433.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.41 Ft 14.1K
$17.12 LYD 109
153.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.6K
$63.3 LYD 404
73.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 Ft 39.1K
$15.33 LYD 97.9
686.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$845 Ft 274.0K
$158 LYD 1,011
434.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$638 Ft 206.9K
$77.9 LYD 497
719.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,609 Ft 521.5K
$232 LYD 1,483
592.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,217 Ft 394.5K
$109 LYD 695
1017.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,555 Ft 1.8M
$284 LYD 1,816
1852.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,898 Ft 1.3M
$190 LYD 1,216
1947.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Sabratha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,724 Ft 559.0K
$184 LYD 1,172
839.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.34
0
-

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sabratha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$638
Sabratha
$78 87.8% $560
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$260
Sabratha
$111 57.1% $148
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$226
Sabratha
$111 50.8% $115
Eating Out
Budapest
$220
Sabratha
$36 83.8% $184
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$169
Sabratha
$52 69.4% $117
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$91
Sabratha
$11 * 87.8% $80
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Sabratha
$5.4 * 87.6% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $158 in Sabratha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 9.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $9 in Sabratha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $111 – making Sabratha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇱🇾 Sabratha
🕒 Local time
09:19 9:19 AM
10:19 10:19 AM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
83,398
💱 Currency
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.39 LYD (1 LYD = 0.157 USD). 1 EUR = 7.17 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Sabratha 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Sabratha

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 Sabratha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sabratha cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 308%, 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 $2,471 per month in Budapest and $606 in Sabratha. 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 Sabratha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $158 there versus $845 in Budapest.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Sabratha?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest and $9 in Sabratha. 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 Sabratha?
Groceries cost about 133% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Sabratha?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Sabratha, where all-in costs run around $404, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Sabratha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Sabratha more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sabratha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Sabratha. If higher salaries 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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