Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Saint-Leu

Name: Saint-Leu
Address: Saint-Leu, RE

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Leu: $1,502 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Budapest despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Saint-Leu

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Saint-Leu

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Saint-Leu $1,502

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,357 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Saint-Leu $2,357

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $3,213 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Saint-Leu $3,213

Budapest costs about 9% more than Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Budapest and Saint-Leu sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Saint-Leu by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$28.24 €25.12

-50.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$89.2 €79.3

-31.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$2.83 €2.52

22.26%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.10 €0.98

60.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$7.88 €7.01

-53.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$5.56 €4.95

-31.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.10 €0.98

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.26 €1.12

46.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$2.17 €1.93

10.60%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$4.62 €4.11

-13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$22.03 €19.60

-48.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$3.38 €3.00

-44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.66 €1.47

28.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$2.27 €2.02

1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$3.40 €3.02

18.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$2.25 €2.00

-54.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.18 €1.94

-54.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.81 €0.72

-13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$14.77 €13.13

-45.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$5.56 €4.95

11.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.64 €1.46

-24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.87 €1.66

3.21%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$94.6 €84.1

84.56%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$9.89 €8.80

138.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$34.06 €30.30

-30.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$33.81 €30.08

103.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$10.01 €8.91

3.00%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$1,140 €1,014

-27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$785 €698

-19.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,981 €1,762

-19.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$1,353 €1,204

-11.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$2,039 €1,814

-16.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

61.25%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saint-Leu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Saint-Leu

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Saint-Leu

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Saint-Leu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Saint-Leu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Saint-Leu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Saint-Leu

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Saint-Leu

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $1,140 in Saint-Leu. 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 19% higher in Saint-Leu, 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $89.0 in Saint-Leu. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $210 in Saint-Leu – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇪 Saint-Leu

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

2 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

34,893

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Saint-Leu 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Saint-Leu

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-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $2,253 in Saint-Leu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Leu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Budapest, 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 $61.0 in Budapest and $89.0 in Saint-Leu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Leu, where all-in costs run around $1,502, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Saint-Leu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint-Leu – 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 Saint-Leu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.