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 $1,450 per month in Budapest vs $1,188 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,221 per month in Budapest vs $1,849 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,991 per month in Budapest vs $2,510 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

Budapest costs about 22% more than Setagaya-ku, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Budapest sits 8% above the global median, while Setagaya-ku is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.49 Ft 3,520

$6.83 ¥1,092

68.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 Ft 17.4K

$35.18 ¥5,628

61.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 Ft 2,653

$5.26 ¥841

64.64%

Cappuccino

$2.77 Ft 848

$3.26 ¥522

-15.03%

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

$1.80 Ft 551

$1.10 ¥176

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 Ft 409

$0.76 ¥121

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 Ft 862

$2.13 ¥341

31.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Ft 856

$2.07 ¥331

34.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 Ft 370

$1.56 ¥250

-22.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 Ft 532

$1.76 ¥281

-1.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 639

$4.89 ¥783

-57.46%

Eggs

$3.10 Ft 951

$1.52 ¥243

103.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 Ft 3,049

$9.89 ¥1,582

0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 Ft 1,939

$6.22 ¥995

1.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 Ft 4,085

$15.46 ¥2,473

-13.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 Ft 568

$5.90 ¥944

-68.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 585

$3.04 ¥486

-37.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 Ft 665

$3.92 ¥627

-44.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 Ft 1,124

$4.66 ¥745

-21.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 Ft 346

$3.37 ¥539

-66.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 Ft 373

$3.73 ¥596

-67.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 474

$1.38 ¥221

12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 163

$0.82 ¥131

-35.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 Ft 2,082

$3.99 ¥638

70.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 Ft 1,799

$9.27 ¥1,483

-36.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 372

$1.74 ¥279

-29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 Ft 530

$2.07 ¥331

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Ft 393

$1.49 ¥238

-14.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.14 Ft 8,010

$55.6 ¥8,892

-52.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 Ft 999

$3.54 ¥567

-7.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 Ft 346

$2.99 ¥478

-62.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.23 Ft 5,892

$22.35 ¥3,575

-13.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 Ft 536

$1.19 ¥190

47.06%

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

$25.9K Ft 7.9M

$23.3K ¥3.7M

10.90%

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

$30.8K Ft 9.4M

$18.6K ¥3.0M

65.34%

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

$145 Ft 44.5K

$83.7 ¥13.4K

73.51%

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

$26.21 Ft 8,032

$27.09 ¥4,332

-3.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.23 Ft 6,199

$34.07 ¥5,449

-40.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 Ft 19.0K

$49.31 ¥7,888

25.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.11 Ft 6,776

$13.92 ¥2,227

58.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 Ft 2,804

$13.05 ¥2,088

-29.89%

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

$454 Ft 139.0K

$284 ¥45.5K

59.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K Ft 3.7M

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-13.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 Ft 25.9K

$41.49 ¥6,637

103.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 Ft 12.8K

$24.15 ¥3,862

73.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 Ft 29.4K

$45.87 ¥7,337

109.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 Ft 32.7K

$98.7 ¥15.8K

8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 Ft 220.2K

$461 ¥73.7K

56.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 Ft 169.4K

$334 ¥53.4K

65.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 Ft 415.3K

$859 ¥137.4K

57.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$984 Ft 301.4K

$668 ¥106.9K

47.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,041 Ft 1.9M

$4,689 ¥750.1K

28.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,470 Ft 1.4M

$2,426 ¥388.0K

84.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,834 Ft 562.0K

$1,419 ¥226.9K

29.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.03

251.50%

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

Last update for Budapest: June 1, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Budapest versus $461 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 29% 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 $57.0 in Budapest versus $35.00 in Setagaya-ku. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Budapest vs $317 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 22%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,175 per month in Budapest and $1,782 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 113% less in Setagaya-ku. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $454 per month in Budapest and $284 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 $1,188, than in Budapest at $1,450. 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.