Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sao Jose dos Campos

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos: $1,050 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose dos Campos
Learn more

Sao Jose dos Campos Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Sao Jose dos Campos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sao Jose dos Campos

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 Jose dos Campos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,050 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Sao Jose dos Campos $1,050

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,660 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Sao Jose dos Campos $1,660

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,270 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Sao Jose dos Campos $2,270

Budapest costs about 54% more than Sao Jose dos Campos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Sao Jose dos Campos is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$7.08 R$35.33

97.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$39.82 R$199

51.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$9.10 R$45.41

9.45%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.30 R$11.46

46.96%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.70 R$8.47

25.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.17 R$5.82

59.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.87 R$14.35

30.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$4.35 R$21.71

-17.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.20 R$5.99

-5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.08 R$10.36

-11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.19 R$5.96

100.84%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.70 R$13.48

41.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$9.14 R$45.61

23.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$4.45 R$22.21

51.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$10.75 R$53.7

36.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.84 R$14.17

-35.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.87 R$9.34

7.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.84 R$9.21

28.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.88 R$9.38

100.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.43 R$7.13

-32.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.37 R$6.82

-24.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.95 R$4.72

64.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.80 R$3.99

-17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$2.82 R$14.08

182.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$9.00 R$44.91

-33.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.73 R$8.66

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$4.41 R$22.00

-52.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.18 R$5.91

27.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$38.37 R$192

-28.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$1.35 R$6.72

144.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.42 R$7.08

-8.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$9.39 R$46.89

110.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.27 R$6.36

42.52%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$23.9K R$119.1K

22.92%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$33.8K R$168.9K

0.79%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$43.80 R$219

287.99%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$14.25 R$71.1

68.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$18.34 R$91.5

27.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$29.98 R$150

120.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$34.77 R$174

-44.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$7.92 R$39.53

20.20%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$433 R$2,161

24.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$7,714 R$38.5K

115.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$56.6 R$283

78.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$59.8 R$298

-28.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$96.3 R$480

17.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$84.5 R$422

40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$485 R$2,421

65.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$361 R$1,802

74.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$974 R$4,864

58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$664 R$3,317

75.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,085 R$10.4K

169.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,498 R$7,477

164.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$813 R$4,059

99.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

11.12

-42.18%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Jose dos Campos: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$361 34.6% 42.6% $268

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$228 21.9% 11.4% $29

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$146 14% 34.9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$76 7.3% 64.9% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$134 12.8% 20.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$46 4.4% 46.3% $39

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$52 4.9% 18.7% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $485 in Sao Jose dos Campos. 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 100% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $40.00 in Sao Jose dos Campos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $228 – making Sao Jose dos Campos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇷 Sao Jose dos Campos

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

06:47 6:47 AM

5 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

697,054

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Sao Jose dos Campos 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Sao Jose dos Campos

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 Jose dos Campos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,575 in Sao Jose dos Campos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Sao Jose dos Campos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $433 in Sao Jose dos Campos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Jose dos Campos, where all-in costs run around $1,050, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Sao Jose dos Campos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Jose dos Campos – 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 Jose dos Campos. 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.