Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sao Caetano do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sao Caetano do Sul

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 Sao Caetano do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,822 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,586 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586

Budapest costs about 53% more than Sao Caetano do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Sao Caetano do Sul is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,525

$8.89 R$44.68

56.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

$40.00 R$201

53.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,307

$8.77 R$44.09

16.19%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,060

$2.38 R$11.98

36.97%

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

$2.14 Ft 694

$1.33 R$6.67

60.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 579

$0.93 R$4.67

91.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,204

$2.36 R$11.84

57.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,223

$4.00 R$20.10

-5.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.19 R$5.96

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 580

$2.05 R$10.32

-12.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 808

$1.44 R$7.24

72.92%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,267

$2.48 R$12.45

57.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,605

$10.70 R$53.8

3.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,149

$5.43 R$27.31

21.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,769

$10.91 R$54.9

34.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 594

$2.39 R$12.00

-23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 664

$1.72 R$8.66

19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 769

$1.55 R$7.77

52.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,266

$2.08 R$10.45

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 322

$1.40 R$7.03

-29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

$1.26 R$6.36

-20.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 514

$0.92 R$4.63

71.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

$0.81 R$4.09

-17.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,585

$2.49 R$12.51

219.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,019

$8.97 R$45.07

-30.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 413

$1.75 R$8.81

-27.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 658

$2.58 R$12.94

-21.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.68 R$3.44

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,098

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,075

$1.32 R$6.65

150.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$1.02 R$5.14

34.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,438

$8.86 R$44.55

123.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 591

$1.34 R$6.73

35.82%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$24.5K R$123.3K

21.44%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$32.6K R$163.7K

3.79%

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

$171 Ft 55.6K

$103 R$518

66.20%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,633

$14.91 R$75.0

57.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,563

$22.99 R$116

1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

$50.3 R$253

34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,135

$46.01 R$231

-58.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,019

$10.14 R$51.0

-8.28%

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

$533 Ft 173.2K

$437 R$2,196

22.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$11.2K R$56.2K

49.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$65.3 R$328

52.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$57.3 R$288

-24.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$98.3 R$494

12.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$93.2 R$468

27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.6K

$419 R$2,108

98.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.9K

$311 R$1,562

100.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 517.4K

$867 R$4,357

83.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 380.0K

$868 R$4,361

34.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,890 R$9,500

208.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,435 R$7,214

170.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 536.1K

$951 R$4,781

73.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

10.81

-40.33%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4% 50% $311

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8% 10.5% $27

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6% 30.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3% 35.4% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4% 15.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7% 18% $16

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9% 79.3% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul. 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 74% 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 $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $231 – making Sao Caetano do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

17:09 5:09 PM

5 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

165,655

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Sao Caetano do Sul 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Sao Caetano do Sul

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 Sao Caetano do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 53%, 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 $1,588 in Sao Caetano do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul, 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 $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Caetano do Sul, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Sao Caetano do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Caetano do Sul – 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 Sao Caetano do Sul. 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.