Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Saint Helier

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,351 in Saint Helier, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 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
162

Cost of Living Index in Saint Helier
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Saint Helier Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Saint Helier

🇯🇪 Jersey

$3,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Saint Helier

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $3,351 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Saint Helier $3,351

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $5,022 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Saint Helier $5,022

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $6,693 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Saint Helier $6,693

Budapest is about 52% cheaper than Saint Helier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Saint Helier sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Saint Helier by 150%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$40.27 JEP 30.49

-65.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$118 JEP 89.3

-48.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$10.42 JEP 7.89

-4.41%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$4.71 JEP 3.57

-28.24%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$3.33 JEP 2.52

-36.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$2.45 JEP 1.85

-23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$7.73 JEP 5.85

-51.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$6.12 JEP 4.63

-41.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$2.29 JEP 1.74

-50.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.70 JEP 2.04

-31.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$3.76 JEP 2.85

-36.44%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$6.12 JEP 4.63

-37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$7.17 JEP 5.43

58.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$11.79 JEP 8.92

-42.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$18.11 JEP 13.71

-18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$4.27 JEP 3.23

-56.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$3.39 JEP 2.56

-40.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$4.24 JEP 3.21

-44.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$4.40 JEP 3.33

-14.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$3.18 JEP 2.41

-69.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$3.06 JEP 2.32

-66.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.81 JEP 1.37

-13.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$2.51 JEP 1.90

-73.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$19.58 JEP 14.82

-59.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$10.44 JEP 7.90

-42.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$4.68 JEP 3.54

-72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$7.59 JEP 5.75

-72.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$3.25 JEP 2.46

-53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$69.6 JEP 52.7

-60.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$5.32 JEP 4.03

-37.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$2.49 JEP 1.88

-47.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$53.2 JEP 40.27

-62.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$2.05 JEP 1.55

-11.71%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$26.3K JEP 19.9K

11.46%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$35.9K JEP 27.1K

-4.87%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$318 JEP 241

-46.51%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$45.82 JEP 34.69

-47.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$72.2 JEP 54.7

-67.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$75.8 JEP 57.4

-12.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$28.03 JEP 21.22

-31.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$20.18 JEP 15.28

-52.82%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$2,731 JEP 2,067

-80.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$12.0K JEP 9,051

38.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$103 JEP 77.8

-1.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$73.2 JEP 55.4

-41.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$121 JEP 91.6

-6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$208 JEP 157

-42.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,816 JEP 1,375

-55.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$1,587 JEP 1,201

-60.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$3,324 JEP 2,516

-53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$2,554 JEP 1,933

-54.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$11.6K JEP 8,810

-51.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$10.2K JEP 7,685

-60.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$4,528 JEP 3,428

-64.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.08

57.60%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Saint Helier: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Saint Helier

$1.6K 47.1% 152% $957

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Saint Helier

$417 12.4% 62% $160

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Saint Helier

$484 14.4% 116% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Saint Helier

$436 12.9% 101% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Saint Helier

$227 6.8% 34.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Saint Helier

$116 3.5% 36.3% $31

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Saint Helier

$100 3% 131% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $1,816 in Saint Helier. 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 179% higher in Saint Helier, 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 $118 in Saint Helier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $417 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇪 Saint Helier

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

08:53 8:53 AM

1 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

32,522 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Jersey Pound JEP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 JEP = 1.32 USD

1 JEP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JEP, 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).

Jersey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 JEP (1 JEP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 JEP (1 JEP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Saint Helier 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Saint Helier

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 Saint Helier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Helier is pricier by about 107%, 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 $5,026 in Saint Helier. 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 152% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $2,731 in Saint Helier. 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 Saint Helier at $3,351. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Helier 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, Saint Helier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.