Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: $745 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas
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Santa Lucía Milpas Altas Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $745 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $745

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,244 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $1,244

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,742 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $1,742

Budapest costs about 117% more than Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Santa Lucía Milpas Altas is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.87 Q 52.6

102.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$49.85 Q 381

22.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$8.01 Q 61.3

27.22%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.42 Q 26.11

-4.68%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.11 Q 8.45

92.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.96 Q 7.38

85.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.23 Q 24.68

14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$4.63 Q 35.41

-18.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$2.01 Q 15.40

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$3.09 Q 23.61

-42.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.01 Q 15.39

23.88%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.58 Q 19.72

51.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.49 Q 49.62

71.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$9.20 Q 70.3

-28.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.01 Q 99.5

12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.98 Q 30.40

-54.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.72 Q 13.13

19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.78 Q 21.23

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.65 Q 12.63

136.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.47 Q 11.23

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.18 Q 16.69

-54.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.73 Q 5.59

116.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.16 Q 8.84

-42.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.10 Q 31.31

94.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.29 Q 63.4

-24.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.81 Q 13.84

-29.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.68 Q 20.48

-24.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$5.19 Q 39.68

-36.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$10.41 Q 79.6

90.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.34 Q 10.27

35.82%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$26.9K Q 206.0K

10.60%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.2K Q 192.4K

34.33%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$72.3 Q 553

136.62%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$28.68 Q 219

-18.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$45.93 Q 351

-49.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.30 Q 48.15

47.62%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$344 Q 2,631

54.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,648 Q 50.8K

152.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$50.3 Q 385

97.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$46.72 Q 357

-6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$118 Q 900

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$112 Q 857

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.62

-44.49%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$280 37.6% 8.5% $22

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$154 20.6% 31.1% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$147 19.7% 32.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$147 19.7% 12.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$13 * 1.7% 85.4% $74

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$5.2 * 0.7% 88.3% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $280 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇹 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

05:36 5:36 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

12,234

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, 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).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Budapest Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 117%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,118 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, where all-in costs run around $745, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Santa Lucía Milpas Altas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Lucía Milpas Altas – 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 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. 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.