Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and San Cristobal de las Casas

For one person, living is cheaper in San Cristobal de las Casas: $925 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in San Cristobal de las Casas
Learn more

San Cristobal de las Casas Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

San Cristobal de las Casas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in San Cristobal de las Casas

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 San Cristobal de las Casas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $925 in San Cristobal de las Casas, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
San Cristobal de las Casas $925

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,420 in San Cristobal de las Casas, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
San Cristobal de las Casas $1,420

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,915 in San Cristobal de las Casas, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
San Cristobal de las Casas $1,915

Budapest costs about 75% more than San Cristobal de las Casas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while San Cristobal de las Casas is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.36 MX$99.0

160.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$27.82 MX$514

120.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.07 MX$112

67.87%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.48 MX$45.91

31.45%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.62 MX$29.93

32.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.03 MX$19.08

72.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.80 MX$51.8

32.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.24 MX$59.8

16.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.41 MX$26.10

-18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$3.58 MX$66.1

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.60 MX$29.62

55.63%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.27 MX$41.91

71.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.69 MX$124

65.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.11 MX$76.0

61.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$6.40 MX$118

129.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.29 MX$60.9

-44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.10 MX$38.81

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.21 MX$40.80

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.45 MX$26.74

168.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.61 MX$29.75

-38.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.77 MX$32.68

-43.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.82 MX$33.56

-13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.61 MX$29.68

-58.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$1.88 MX$34.79

323.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$10.57 MX$195

-41.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.40 MX$44.35

-47.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.96 MX$36.27

3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.56 MX$10.41

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$27.82 MX$514

0.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.69 MX$49.67

23.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$2.79 MX$51.6

-50.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.39 MX$25.66

30.94%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$19.0K MX$351.7K

56.58%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$32.74 MX$605

422.66%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$14.82 MX$274

58.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$20.42 MX$377

14.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$22.92 MX$423

194.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$23.54 MX$435

-19.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.73 MX$124

38.19%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$208 MX$3,843

156.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,657 MX$49.1K

530.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$19.35 MX$358

414.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$27.33 MX$505

59.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$95.5 MX$1,765

15.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$54.0 MX$999

120.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$434 MX$8,014

91.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$321 MX$5,938

93.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$890 MX$16.4K

79.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$527 MX$9,741

122.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$835 MX$15.4K

598.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$664 MX$12.3K

485.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$403 MX$7,451

309.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

9.8

-34.18%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$321 34.7% 48.3% $301

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$242 26.2% 6% $16

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$122 13.2% 45.3% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$68 7.4% 68.8% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$88 9.6% 47.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$36 3.9% 57.8% $50

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

San Cristobal de las Casas

$47 5.1% 5.6% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $434 in San Cristobal de las Casas. 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 310% 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 $28.00 in San Cristobal de las Casas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $242 – making San Cristobal de las Casas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 San Cristobal de las Casas

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

05:56 5:56 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

183,509

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest San Cristobal de las Casas 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
San Cristobal de las Casas

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 San Cristobal de las Casas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 75%, 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 $1,388 in San Cristobal de las Casas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1% less in San Cristobal de las Casas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $208 in San Cristobal de las Casas. 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 San Cristobal de las Casas, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Budapest at $1,619. In San Cristobal de las Casas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Cristobal de las Casas – 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 San Cristobal de las Casas. 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.