Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sakarya

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakarya: $956 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Sakarya
Learn more

Sakarya Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Sakarya

🇹🇷 Turkey

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sakarya

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $956 in Sakarya, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Sakarya $956

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,474 in Sakarya, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Sakarya $1,474

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,992 in Sakarya, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Sakarya $1,992

Budapest costs about 69% more than Sakarya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Sakarya is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$7.11 ₺352

96.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$30.89 ₺1,530

98.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.96 ₺344

46.41%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.59 ₺178

-9.19%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.92 ₺45.55

132.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.37 ₺18.23

381.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.87 ₺92.6

98.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.39 ₺118

57.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.00 ₺49.60

15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.01 ₺49.98

77.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.10 ₺104

18.57%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.07 ₺103

88.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.75 ₺384

43.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$2.89 ₺143

129.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$18.15 ₺899

-19.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.92 ₺95.1

-4.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.87 ₺92.8

9.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$0.84 ₺41.49

182.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.33 ₺65.6

193.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.49 ₺24.20

102.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.28 ₺13.78

257.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.75 ₺37.03

110.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.72 ₺35.79

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.09 ₺103

280.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$14.46 ₺716

-56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.94 ₺96.3

-34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.47 ₺172

-41.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.45 ₺22.10

237.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$62.0 ₺3,068

-54.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.05 ₺51.9

215.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.12 ₺55.5

22.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$4.21 ₺208

371.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.32 ₺65.4

37.88%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$42.2K ₺2.1M

-29.45%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$40.9K ₺2.0M

-17.25%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$44.90 ₺2,223

281.11%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$10.23 ₺507

129.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$14.17 ₺701

64.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$40.74 ₺2,017

65.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.12 ₺303

51.96%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$898 ₺44.5K

-40.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.6K ₺721.3K

15.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$38.69 ₺1,916

157.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$42.32 ₺2,095

2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$82.9 ₺4,104

33.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$71.3 ₺3,528

66.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$407 ₺20.1K

104.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$299 ₺14.8K

108.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$785 ₺38.9K

103.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$498 ₺24.7K

134.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,211 ₺60.0K

381.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$689 ₺34.1K

464.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$899 ₺44.5K

83.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

39.8

-83.79%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sakarya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Sakarya

$299 31.2% 52% $323

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Sakarya

$219 22.9% 15.1% $39

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Sakarya

$140 14.7% 37.2% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Sakarya

$69 7.3% 68.2% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Sakarya

$106 11.1% 36.9% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Sakarya

$53 5.5% 38.5% $33

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Sakarya

$70 7.4% 59.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $407 in Sakarya. 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 84% higher in Budapest, 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $31.00 in Sakarya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $219 – making Sakarya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇹🇷 Sakarya

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,094,481

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Sakarya 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Sakarya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,434 in Sakarya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 121% less in Sakarya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $898 in Sakarya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sakarya, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Sakarya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sakarya – 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 Sakarya. 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.