Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Saint John's

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,816 in Saint John's, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Saint John's
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Saint John's Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Saint John's

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,816 in Saint John's, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Saint John's $1,816

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,873 in Saint John's, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Saint John's $2,873

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,929 in Saint John's, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Saint John's $3,929

Budapest is about 11% cheaper than Saint John's, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Budapest and Saint John's sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Saint John's by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$22.50 EC$60.8

-37.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$75.0 EC$203

-19.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$10.97 EC$29.62

-9.21%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.80 EC$10.27

-11.05%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$2.03 EC$5.47

4.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.87 EC$2.34

114.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.87 EC$5.05

100.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$4.48 EC$12.09

-20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$2.18 EC$5.88

-48.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.81 EC$7.59

-34.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.90 EC$5.14

25.79%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$6.63 EC$17.91

-42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$8.32 EC$22.46

36.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$8.31 EC$22.44

-18.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$6.48 EC$17.49

-71.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$2.42 EC$6.54

-16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$8.12 EC$21.93

-70.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$8.10 EC$21.87

-53.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$2.92 EC$7.88

-67.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.90 EC$7.84

-64.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$2.64 EC$7.12

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.61 EC$4.34

-59.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$5.53 EC$14.93

8.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$2.73 EC$7.36

-52.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$4.55 EC$12.29

-54.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

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

$1.63 EC$4.40

11.04%

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

$256 EC$692

-33.72%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$40.32 EC$109

-40.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$81.4 EC$220

-71.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$65.3 EC$176

1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$6.43 EC$17.36

48.06%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$1,855 EC$5,009

795.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$49.21 EC$133

105.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$75.4 EC$204

49.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,036 EC$2,796

-22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$680 EC$1,835

-7.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,694 EC$4,573

-8.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,497 EC$4,043

-22.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,344 EC$3,630

20.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.5

16.91%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Saint John's: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Saint John's

$680 37.2% 8% $51

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Saint John's

$349 * 19.1% 35.3% $91

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Saint John's

$288 15.8% 28.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Saint John's

$378 20.7% 74% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Saint John's

$56 * 3.1% 66.8% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Saint John's

$78 4.3% 8.3% $7.1

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Saint John's

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $1,036 in Saint John's. 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 21% higher in Budapest, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $75.0 in Saint John's. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $349 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

07:17 7:17 AM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

21,926 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, 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).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Saint John's 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Saint John's

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 John's: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint John's is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,724 in Saint John's. 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.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Saint John's, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $75.0 in Saint John's. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Saint John's at $1,816. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John's 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 John's makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.