Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sao Tome

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Tome: $1,218 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome
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Sao Tome Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Sao Tome

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sao Tome

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 Tome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,218 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Sao Tome $1,218

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,921 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Sao Tome $1,921

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,624 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Sao Tome $2,624

Budapest costs about 33% more than Sao Tome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Sao Tome is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$8.91 STN 195

57.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$44.14 STN 965

36.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$7.85 STN 171

26.88%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.25 STN 49.12

50.22%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.87 STN 40.78

13.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.28 STN 27.93

46.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.73 STN 37.88

116.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$1.81 STN 39.58

97.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.57 STN 34.32

-28.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.99 STN 21.63

85.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.06 STN 45.02

16.02%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$4.77 STN 104

-19.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$19.45 STN 425

-41.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$19.62 STN 429

-65.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$24.03 STN 525

-38.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$3.85 STN 84.2

-52.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.78 STN 38.80

12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$3.68 STN 80.4

-35.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$3.44 STN 75.3

9.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$2.95 STN 64.4

-67.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.35 STN 51.3

-56.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.54 STN 11.90

188.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$2.07 STN 45.32

-68.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$2.21 STN 48.28

260.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$8.05 STN 176

-25.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.51 STN 32.99

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.64 STN 35.78

26.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.39 STN 30.39

7.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$1.64 STN 35.75

101.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$2.56 STN 56.0

-49.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$13.77 STN 301

43.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.73 STN 37.85

4.62%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$24.7K STN 539.4K

18.79%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$31.3K STN 683.8K

8.98%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$233 STN 5,095

-27.12%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$31.29 STN 684

-23.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$66.0 STN 1,442

-64.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$33.83 STN 739

95.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$25.54 STN 558

-24.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$20.28 STN 443

-53.06%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$227 STN 4,961

136.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$2,207 STN 48.2K

652.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$76.4 STN 1,669

-43.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$18.71 STN 409

534.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$282 STN 6,165

185.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$198 STN 4,325

217.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$947 STN 20.7K

63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$441 STN 9,646

164.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,812 STN 39.6K

210.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,126 STN 24.6K

252.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$259 STN 5,650

528.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

7.38

-12.87%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Sao Tome

$198 16.2% 68.5% $431

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Sao Tome

$411 33.6% 59.5% $153

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Sao Tome

$147 12% 34.6% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Sao Tome

$330 27% 52% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Sao Tome

$43 * 3.5% 74.7% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Sao Tome

$74 6.1% 12.8% $11

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Sao Tome

$20 * 1.6% 53.9% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $282 in Sao Tome. 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 529% 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 $44.00 in Sao Tome. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $411 in Sao Tome – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇹 Sao Tome

🕒 Local time

14:10 2:10 PM

12:10 12:10 PM

2 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

53,300 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 STN = 4.58 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, 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).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.85 STN (100 STN = 4.58 USD). 1 EUR = 24.48 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Sao Tome 5,380 km ≈ 7 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 Sao Tome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,827 in Sao Tome. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Tome, 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 $60.0 in Budapest and $44.00 in Sao Tome. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 59% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Tome, where all-in costs run around $1,218, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Sao Tome it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Tome – 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 Tome. 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.