Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and San Fernando

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $1,130 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
55

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

San Fernando

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in San Fernando

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,130 in San Fernando, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
San Fernando $1,130

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,832 in San Fernando, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
San Fernando $1,832

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,534 in San Fernando, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
San Fernando $2,534

Budapest costs about 45% more than San Fernando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while San Fernando is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$10.75 MX$199

30.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$43.30 MX$800

40.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$8.42 MX$156

23.16%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$3.63 MX$67.0

-4.68%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.42 MX$26.21

45.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.06 MX$19.52

66.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$2.42 MX$44.65

52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$4.15 MX$76.7

-8.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.60 MX$29.59

-27.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$2.68 MX$49.57

-30.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.71 MX$31.53

40.35%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.53 MX$46.78

57.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$8.19 MX$151

39.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$8.27 MX$153

-16.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$11.60 MX$214

24.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$2.67 MX$49.25

-29.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.60 MX$29.50

33.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.97 MX$36.32

16.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.84 MX$33.96

119.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$1.97 MX$36.36

-48.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.82 MX$33.57

-45.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.43 MX$26.41

10.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$1.14 MX$21.00

-38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$4.32 MX$79.9

85.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$10.48 MX$194

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.79 MX$33.11

-30.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$3.20 MX$59.2

-35.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.64 MX$11.85

148.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$2.56 MX$47.39

33.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$2.01 MX$37.15

-33.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$10.82 MX$200

89.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.49 MX$27.45

29.53%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$21.0K MX$387.5K

38.94%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$23.7K MX$438.6K

46.31%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$57.0 MX$1,054

206.19%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$22.91 MX$423

3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$29.54 MX$546

-20.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$33.60 MX$621

104.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$20.12 MX$372

-4.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$5.23 MX$96.6

97.13%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$220 MX$4,060

143.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,534 MX$83.8K

271.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$54.3 MX$1,003

84.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$40.69 MX$752

6.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$98.8 MX$1,825

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$90.3 MX$1,669

31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$612 MX$11.3K

35.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$383 MX$7,076

64.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,030 MX$19.0K

54.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$779 MX$14.4K

53.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$1,910 MX$35.3K

199.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,160 MX$21.4K

240.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.3

-42.92%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

San Fernando

$383 33.9% 39.1% $246

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

San Fernando

$266 23.5% 1.5% $3.9

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

San Fernando

$185 16.4% 18.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

San Fernando

$109 9.7% 50.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

San Fernando

$128 11.3% 24% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

San Fernando

$44 3.9% 50.8% $45

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

San Fernando

$15 * 1.3% 65.5% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $612 in San Fernando. 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $43.00 in San Fernando. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $266 in San Fernando – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 San Fernando

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

09:25 9:25 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

11,867

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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

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Between locations

Budapest San Fernando 10,200 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
San Fernando

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 Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,695 in San Fernando. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, 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 $61.0 in Budapest and $43.00 in San Fernando. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Budapest at $1,641. In San Fernando it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Fernando – 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 Fernando. 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.