Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Setagaya-ku Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Setagaya-ku

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,721 per month in Budapest vs $1,175 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,708 per month in Budapest vs $1,805 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,695 per month in Budapest vs $2,434 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

Budapest costs about 46% more than Setagaya-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Budapest sits 25% above the global median, while Setagaya-ku is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.35 Ft 4,465

$6.27 ¥976

128.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 Ft 19.7K

$25.53 ¥3,973

148.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 Ft 3,493

$4.47 ¥696

151.23%

Cappuccino

$3.40 Ft 1,058

$2.89 ¥450

17.65%

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

$2.14 Ft 667

$1.07 ¥167

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 632

$0.60 ¥93.8

238.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 Ft 1,162

$2.24 ¥349

66.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Ft 1,179

$3.07 ¥477

23.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 Ft 381

$1.24 ¥192

-0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 Ft 593

$1.71 ¥265

11.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 Ft 803

$3.57 ¥556

-27.73%

Eggs

$4.14 Ft 1,287

$1.22 ¥190

239.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 Ft 3,868

$11.57 ¥1,800

7.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 Ft 2,146

$5.85 ¥911

17.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 Ft 4,777

$14.22 ¥2,213

8.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 Ft 645

$5.69 ¥885

-63.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 Ft 676

$2.79 ¥435

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 776

$2.77 ¥431

-10.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 Ft 1,278

$4.07 ¥634

0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 322

$2.62 ¥407

-60.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 310

$2.65 ¥412

-62.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 Ft 494

$1.26 ¥197

26.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 212

$0.54 ¥83.5

25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.39 Ft 2,609

$3.70 ¥576

126.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 Ft 1,984

$6.28 ¥978

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 Ft 414

$1.71 ¥267

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 Ft 701

$2.01 ¥312

11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 Ft 491

$1.46 ¥227

8.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.78 Ft 8,954

$58.8 ¥9,152

-51.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 Ft 1,110

$2.61 ¥405

36.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 Ft 445

$2.55 ¥397

-43.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.58 Ft 6,405

$20.04 ¥3,119

2.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 Ft 582

$1.06 ¥164

76.42%

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

$31.8K Ft 9.9M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

47.06%

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

$35.9K Ft 11.2M

$17.8K ¥2.8M

102.05%

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

$173 Ft 54.0K

$130 ¥20.3K

33.22%

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

$25.97 Ft 8,080

$24.06 ¥3,745

7.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.25 Ft 7,855

$31.88 ¥4,962

-20.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 Ft 22.3K

$50.4 ¥7,851

42.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.20 Ft 5,975

Cinema Ticket

$9.76 Ft 3,038

$11.79 ¥1,835

-17.22%

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

$577 Ft 179.5K

$635 ¥98.8K

-9.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K Ft 5.5M

$14.5K ¥2.3M

22.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 Ft 33.2K

$36.87 ¥5,739

189.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 Ft 13.8K

$32.69 ¥5,087

35.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 Ft 36.2K

$60.4 ¥9,402

92.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Ft 37.5K

$62.1 ¥9,660

94.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 Ft 267.1K

$459 ¥71.4K

87.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Ft 208.8K

$320 ¥49.9K

109.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 Ft 520.1K

$1,206 ¥187.8K

38.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 Ft 403.1K

$693 ¥107.8K

86.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,081 Ft 1.9M

$4,726 ¥735.6K

28.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,164 Ft 1.3M

$2,124 ¥330.6K

96.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,709 Ft 531.6K

$1,446 ¥225.1K

18.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

234.00%

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

Last update for Budapest: August 29, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $858 in Budapest versus $459 in Setagaya-ku. 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 18% 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 $63.0 in Budapest versus $26.00 in Setagaya-ku. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Budapest vs $282 in Setagaya-ku – 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 Setagaya-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 46%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,581 per month in Budapest and $1,763 in Setagaya-ku. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 104% less in Setagaya-ku. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $577 per month in Budapest and $635 in Setagaya-ku. 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 Setagaya-ku, where all-in costs run around $1,175, than in Budapest at $1,721. In Setagaya-ku it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Setagaya-ku – 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 Setagaya-ku. 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.