Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Santiago de Compostela Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Santiago de Compostela

Name: Santiago de Compostela
Address: Santiago de Compostela, ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,451 per month in Budapest vs $1,400 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,210 per month in Budapest vs $2,130 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,969 per month in Budapest vs $2,861 in Santiago de Compostela, rent included.

Budapest costs about 4% more than Santiago de Compostela, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Budapest and Santiago de Compostela sit above the global median – Budapest by 8%, Santiago de Compostela by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.64 Ft 3,521

$13.63 €11.74

-14.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 Ft 17.7K

$55.7 €48.00

5.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 Ft 2,604

$9.75 €8.40

-11.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Ft 857

$1.94 €1.67

45.88%

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

$1.81 Ft 547

$2.50 €2.15

-27.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 Ft 410

$2.03 €1.75

-33.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 Ft 897

$3.21 €2.76

-7.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 Ft 884

$3.84 €3.31

-23.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 Ft 385

$1.10 €0.95

15.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 Ft 504

$1.22 €1.05

36.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 618

$1.59 €1.37

28.30%

Eggs

$3.16 Ft 955

$2.99 €2.58

5.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 Ft 2,988

$9.21 €7.94

7.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 Ft 1,868

$6.27 €5.40

-1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 Ft 4,072

$17.45 €15.03

-22.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 562

$1.80 €1.55

3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 578

$2.17 €1.87

-11.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 628

$1.47 €1.27

41.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 Ft 1,092

$2.83 €2.44

27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 Ft 344

$2.13 €1.84

-46.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 Ft 368

$1.53 €1.32

-20.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 Ft 467

$1.18 €1.02

30.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 162

$0.69 €0.60

-23.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 Ft 2,081

$6.13 €5.28

12.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 Ft 1,808

$5.28 €4.55

13.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Ft 362

$1.51 €1.30

-20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 Ft 501

$2.41 €2.08

-31.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 Ft 398

$1.24 €1.07

5.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.92 Ft 7,843

$34.58 €29.79

-25.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 Ft 978

$4.76 €4.10

-32.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 Ft 341

$1.27 €1.09

-11.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.91 Ft 5,722

$22.99 €19.81

-17.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 Ft 528

$1.89 €1.63

-7.41%

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

$25.5K Ft 7.7M

$29.3K €25.3K

-13.16%

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

$31.6K Ft 9.6M

$31.1K €26.8K

1.70%

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

$145 Ft 44.0K

$162 €140

-10.49%

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

$26.44 Ft 8,001

$21.20 €18.26

24.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.87 Ft 6,012

$33.51 €28.87

-40.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 Ft 19.3K

$41.87 €36.08

52.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.23 Ft 6,724

$2.34 €2.01

850.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 Ft 2,750

$10.18 €8.77

-10.71%

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

$460 Ft 139.3K

$346 €298

32.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Ft 3.7M

$8,111 €6,988

51.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 Ft 26.4K

$77.1 €66.5

13.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 Ft 12.7K

$32.04 €27.60

31.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 Ft 29.6K

$87.4 €75.3

11.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 Ft 31.4K

$97.8 €84.2

6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$743 Ft 224.8K

$743 €640

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 Ft 164.3K

$520 €448

4.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 Ft 409.4K

$1,016 €875

33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 Ft 295.5K

$861 €742

13.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,134 Ft 1.9M

$3,204 €2,760

91.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,404 Ft 1.3M

$2,167 €1,867

103.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,800 Ft 544.5K

$1,970 €1,697

-8.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.03

3.33

111.11%

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

Last update for Budapest: June 9, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $743 in Budapest versus $743 in Santiago de Compostela. 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 9% higher in Santiago de Compostela, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Budapest versus $56.0 in Santiago de Compostela. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Budapest vs $240 in Santiago de Compostela – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Santiago de Compostela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,177 per month in Budapest and $2,099 in Santiago de Compostela. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 33% less in Santiago de Compostela. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $460 per month in Budapest and $346 in Santiago de Compostela. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santiago de Compostela, where all-in costs run around $1,400, than in Budapest at $1,451. In Santiago de Compostela it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santiago de Compostela – 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 Santiago de Compostela. 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.