Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and San Jose del Monte

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose del Monte: $713 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
San Jose del Monte
🇵🇭 Philippines
$713
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in San Jose del Monte

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 Jose del Monte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $713 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • San Jose del Monte $713

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,072 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • San Jose del Monte $1,072

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,432 in San Jose del Monte, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • San Jose del Monte $1,432

Budapest costs about 127% more than San Jose del Monte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while San Jose del Monte is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$4.09 ₱257
240.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$16.69 ₱1,051
266.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$2.87 ₱181
255.05%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$1.78 ₱112
83.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$0.57 ₱35.83
275.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.33 ₱20.79
439.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$0.98 ₱61.6
278.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$1.55 ₱97.8
143.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.66 ₱105
-30.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.11 ₱69.8
61.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.03 ₱64.9
141.75%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$2.02 ₱127
93.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$5.18 ₱326
114.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$3.35 ₱211
97.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$7.07 ₱445
107.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$2.27 ₱143
-19.38%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.53 ₱96.6
33.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$2.35 ₱148
0.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$1.03 ₱64.9
278.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$1.68 ₱106
-41.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$1.73 ₱109
-42.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$0.61 ₱38.45
159.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$0.52 ₱32.85
28.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$2.89 ₱182
175.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$8.89 ₱560
-30.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$0.97 ₱61.2
30.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.08 ₱131
-2.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.24 ₱15.09
533.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$11.59 ₱730
141.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$0.80 ₱50.2
313.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.23 ₱14.51
495.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$1.95 ₱123
916.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.19 ₱75.1
52.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$21.1K ₱1.3M
41.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$19.2K ₱1.2M
76.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$124 ₱7,822
37.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$15.79 ₱994
48.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$23.17 ₱1,459
0.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$35.10 ₱2,210
92.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$4.42 ₱278
327.38%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$5.25 ₱331
77.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$134 ₱8,428
298.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$8,925 ₱561.9K
87.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$29.38 ₱1,850
239.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$19.87 ₱1,251
118.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$71.0 ₱4,472
55.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$55.0 ₱3,463
116.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$257 ₱16.2K
223.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$164 ₱10.3K
279.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$506 ₱31.9K
214.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$318 ₱20.0K
267.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$2,707 ₱170.4K
115.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$942 ₱59.3K
312.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
San Jose del Monte
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
6.75
-4.44%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Jose del Monte: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
San Jose del Monte
$164 73.7% $458
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
San Jose del Monte
$173 33.1% $85
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
San Jose del Monte
$74 66.7% $149
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
San Jose del Monte
$163 25.1% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
San Jose del Monte
$79 52.9% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
San Jose del Monte
$46 47.1% $41
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
San Jose del Monte
$15 67.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $257 in San Jose del Monte. 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 $17.00 in San Jose del Monte. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $173 – making San Jose del Monte the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte
🕒 Local time
17:18 5:18 PM
23:18 11:18 PM
6 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
651,813
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest San Jose del Monte 9,670 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • San Jose del Monte

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 Jose del Monte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Jose del Monte cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,069 in San Jose del Monte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose del Monte, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 142% less in San Jose del Monte. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $134 in San Jose del Monte. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in San Jose del Monte?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Jose del Monte, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Budapest at $1,619. In San Jose del Monte it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or San Jose del Monte more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward San Jose del Monte – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or San Jose del Monte?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with San Jose del Monte. 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.

Budapest vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?