Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Salalah

For one person, living is cheaper in Salalah: $1,059 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Salalah
Learn more

Salalah Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Salalah

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Salalah

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,059 in Salalah, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Salalah $1,059

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,599 in Salalah, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Salalah $1,599

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,138 in Salalah, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Salalah $2,138

Budapest costs about 53% more than Salalah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$5.31 OMR 2.05

163.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$26.43 OMR 10.17

128.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$12.97 OMR 4.99

-23.21%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$6.09 OMR 2.34

-44.50%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.90 OMR 0.35

136.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.25 OMR 0.10

648.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$9.33 OMR 3.59

-59.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$10.30 OMR 3.96

-65.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.93 OMR 0.74

-41.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.23 OMR 0.47

49.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.66 OMR 1.03

-10.15%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$1.82 OMR 0.70

110.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$4.58 OMR 1.76

147.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$4.62 OMR 1.78

45.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$6.61 OMR 2.55

122.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.91 OMR 0.74

-3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.87 OMR 0.72

7.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.12 OMR 0.82

11.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.87 OMR 0.72

101.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.52 OMR 0.59

-36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.03 OMR 0.40

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.04 OMR 0.40

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.48 OMR 0.18

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$5.84 OMR 2.25

36.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$19.73 OMR 7.60

-69.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$3.81 OMR 1.47

-65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$4.76 OMR 1.83

-56.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.32 OMR 0.51

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$55.3 OMR 21.27

-50.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$2.31 OMR 0.89

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.32 OMR 0.51

-1.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$11.49 OMR 4.42

72.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.61 OMR 0.23

196.72%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$20.8K OMR 8,004

41.06%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$18.3K OMR 7,048

86.33%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$78.1 OMR 30.07

117.56%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$49.55 OMR 19.08

-51.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$74.3 OMR 28.59

-68.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$39.58 OMR 15.24

67.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$26.22 OMR 10.10

-26.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$7.81 OMR 3.01

21.90%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$106 OMR 40.78

406.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$1,942 OMR 747

755.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$28.74 OMR 11.06

252.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$30.76 OMR 11.84

39.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$57.8 OMR 22.23

95.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$46.20 OMR 17.79

156.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$251 OMR 96.5

221.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$205 OMR 79.0

206.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$642 OMR 247

141.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$382 OMR 147

205.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,981 OMR 763

183.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,240 OMR 477

219.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,771 OMR 682

-8.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.58

40.39%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Salalah: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Salalah

$205 19.3% 67.4% $424

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Salalah

$229 21.6% 11% $28

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Salalah

$226 21.3% 0.9% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Salalah

$202 19% 7.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Salalah

$74 6.9% 56.5% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Salalah

$55 5.2% 35.3% $30

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Salalah

$69 6.6% 60% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $251 in Salalah. 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 9% higher in Salalah, 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 $26.00 in Salalah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $229 – making Salalah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇴🇲 Salalah

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

11:11 11:11 AM

2 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

178,469

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, 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).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Salalah 4,660 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Budapest
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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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 53%, 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 $1,589 in Salalah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 100% less in Salalah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $106 in Salalah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Salalah, where all-in costs run around $1,059, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Salalah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salalah – 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 Salalah. 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.