Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Saint-Louis

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Louis: $830 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Louis
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Saint-Louis Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Saint-Louis

🇸🇳 Senegal

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $830 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Saint-Louis $830

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,322 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Saint-Louis $1,322

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,815 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Saint-Louis $1,815

Budapest costs about 95% more than Saint-Louis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Saint-Louis is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$3.50 F CFA 2,047

299.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

14.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$11.15 F CFA 6,522

-10.67%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.35 F CFA 1,963

0.90%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.25 F CFA 729

70.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.87 F CFA 509

114.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.75 F CFA 1,026

114.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$4.37 F CFA 2,555

-18.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$2.49 F CFA 1,459

-54.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.27 F CFA 159

581.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.68 F CFA 981

42.26%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.45 F CFA 1,432

56.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$17.14 F CFA 10.0K

-33.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$8.75 F CFA 5,122

-22.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$11.00 F CFA 6,438

33.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$3.12 F CFA 1,828

-41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.95 F CFA 1,143

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.86 F CFA 1,672

-17.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

117.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.35 F CFA 788

-28.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.98 F CFA 574

5.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.08 F CFA 630

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.70 F CFA 410

-5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$2.12 F CFA 1,242

275.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$16.91 F CFA 9,895

-64.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.53 F CFA 895

-15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$3.37 F CFA 1,970

-38.28%

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

$0.89 F CFA 523

270.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

-38.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$17.34 F CFA 10.1K

14.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.70 F CFA 992

6.47%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$50.9K F CFA 29.8M

-42.37%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$48.6K F CFA 28.4M

-29.80%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$206 F CFA 120.8K

-17.68%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$11.46 F CFA 6,707

109.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$46.89 F CFA 27.4K

-50.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$8.64 F CFA 5,053

10.19%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$320 F CFA 187.0K

67.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

59.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$58.8 F CFA 34.4K

72.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$45.28 F CFA 26.5K

-5.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$85.6 F CFA 50.1K

31.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$95.0 F CFA 55.6K

24.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$435 F CFA 254.5K

85.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.75

-26.51%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Saint-Louis

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Saint-Louis

$287 34.3% 11.3% $29

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Saint-Louis

$128 15.3% 43.1% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Saint-Louis

$265 31.7% 21.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Saint-Louis

$128 15.3% 24.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Saint-Louis

$17 * 2.1% 79.7% $68

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Saint-Louis

$12 * 1.4% 73.5% $32

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 $435 in Saint-Louis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $53.0 in Saint-Louis. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $287 in Saint-Louis – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇳 Saint-Louis

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

10:12 10:12 AM

2 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

176,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Budapest Saint-Louis 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Saint-Louis

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-Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 95%, 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 $1,245 in Saint-Louis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Louis, 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 $53.0 in Saint-Louis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Louis, where all-in costs run around $830, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Saint-Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint-Louis – 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-Louis. 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.