Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Samos

For one person, living is cheaper in Samos: $1,411 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Samos
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Samos Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Samos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Samos

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,411 in Samos, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Samos $1,411

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,081 in Samos, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Samos $2,081

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,751 in Samos, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Samos $2,751

Budapest costs about 16% more than Samos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Samos sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Samos by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$11.13 €9.90

26.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$39.72 €35.33

53.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$6.87 €6.11

50.95%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$3.02 €2.68

14.57%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.36 €2.10

-12.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.88 €0.78

101.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$4.13 €3.67

-10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$6.45 €5.74

-41.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.53 €1.36

-24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.38 €1.23

34.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$2.61 €2.32

-8.05%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$4.56 €4.06

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$13.24 €11.78

-13.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$9.65 €8.59

-28.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$14.16 €12.59

2.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$2.16 €1.92

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$2.01 €1.79

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.42 €1.27

61.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.94 €1.73

108.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$1.16 €1.03

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.15 €1.02

-13.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.09 €0.97

44.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.85 €0.76

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$5.37 €4.77

49.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$6.76 €6.02

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$2.06 €1.83

-39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$2.62 €2.33

-21.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.37 €1.21

16.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$44.20 €39.32

-37.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$4.30 €3.83

-20.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.09 €0.97

22.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$16.48 €14.66

24.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$2.15 €1.91

-10.23%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$28.1K €25.0K

3.68%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$25.3K €22.5K

37.41%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$207 €184

-15.80%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$23.54 €20.94

0.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$30.70 €27.31

-23.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$51.3 €45.61

34.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$25.38 €22.57

-24.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$8.94 €7.96

15.32%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$429 €382

24.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,664 €6,817

119.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$89.9 €80.0

11.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$40.02 €35.59

8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$86.7 €77.1

28.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$121 €108

-2.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$481 €428

72.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$400 €356

57.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$741 €659

114.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$611 €544

95.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,683 €2,387

113.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$2,181 €1,940

80.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$990 €881

72.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.46

44.62%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Samos: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Samos

$400 28.4% 36.4% $229

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Samos

$276 19.6% 5.4% $14

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Samos

$192 13.6% 15% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Samos

$262 18.5% 17.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Samos

$152 10.8% 9.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Samos

$69 4.9% 22.7% $20

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Samos

$59 4.2% 35.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $481 in Samos. 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 73% 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 $40.00 in Samos. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $276 in Samos – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇷 Samos

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

19:01 7:01 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

33,814

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Samos 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Samos

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 Samos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $2,117 in Samos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 61% less in Samos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $429 in Samos. 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 Samos, where all-in costs run around $1,411, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Samos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samos – 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 Samos. 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.