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 $1,463 per month in Budapest vs $1,177 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,209 per month in Budapest vs $1,886 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,955 per month in Budapest vs $2,595 in Setagaya-ku, rent included.

Budapest costs about 24% more than Setagaya-ku, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Budapest sits 10% above the global median, while Setagaya-ku is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 Ft 3,637

$7.04 ¥1,144

63.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 Ft 17.9K

$34.03 ¥5,530

65.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 Ft 2,767

$5.25 ¥853

66.29%

Cappuccino

$2.85 Ft 903

$3.26 ¥530

-12.58%

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

$1.74 Ft 550

$1.13 ¥184

53.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 Ft 415

$0.77 ¥124

70.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 Ft 886

$2.12 ¥345

32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 Ft 929

$2.04 ¥332

43.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 Ft 401

$1.55 ¥252

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 Ft 554

$1.72 ¥280

1.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 670

$4.95 ¥805

-57.37%

Eggs

$3.16 Ft 1,002

$1.59 ¥258

98.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 Ft 3,139

$9.91 ¥1,609

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 Ft 2,002

$6.25 ¥1,015

1.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.58 Ft 4,303

$15.22 ¥2,473

-10.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 604

$5.96 ¥968

-67.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 Ft 633

$3.10 ¥503

-35.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Ft 682

$4.00 ¥649

-46.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 Ft 1,137

$4.48 ¥729

-19.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 Ft 356

$3.25 ¥527

-65.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 Ft 382

$3.67 ¥596

-67.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 Ft 488

$1.38 ¥224

11.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Ft 173

$0.82 ¥134

-32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 Ft 2,152

$4.10 ¥666

65.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 Ft 1,831

$9.36 ¥1,521

-38.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Ft 380

$1.84 ¥298

-34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 Ft 523

$2.14 ¥348

-22.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Ft 403

$1.49 ¥242

-14.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 Ft 8,220

$56.3 ¥9,139

-53.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 Ft 1,032

$3.54 ¥576

-7.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 Ft 355

$2.99 ¥486

-62.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.21 Ft 6,087

$22.45 ¥3,647

-14.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 Ft 559

$1.22 ¥198

44.26%

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

$26.3K Ft 8.3M

$22.8K ¥3.7M

15.29%

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

$30.7K Ft 9.7M

$18.2K ¥3.0M

68.66%

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

$144 Ft 45.5K

$83.7 ¥13.6K

71.45%

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

$26.33 Ft 8,343

$27.41 ¥4,453

-3.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.06 Ft 6,357

$34.46 ¥5,600

-41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 Ft 20.0K

$48.43 ¥7,868

30.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 Ft 6,929

$13.61 ¥2,211

60.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.90 Ft 2,820

$13.23 ¥2,149

-32.73%

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

$450 Ft 142.7K

$285 ¥46.3K

57.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K Ft 3.8M

$13.7K ¥2.2M

-11.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 Ft 26.8K

$42.41 ¥6,891

99.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.60 Ft 13.5K

$24.10 ¥3,916

76.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 Ft 31.1K

$44.69 ¥7,262

119.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 Ft 32.8K

$97.6 ¥15.9K

6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 Ft 226.6K

$467 ¥75.8K

53.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 Ft 177.5K

$330 ¥53.7K

69.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 Ft 424.2K

$865 ¥140.5K

54.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 Ft 307.6K

$664 ¥107.9K

46.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,062 Ft 1.9M

$4,241 ¥689.0K

42.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,298 Ft 1.4M

$1,788 ¥290.5K

140.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 Ft 554.8K

$1,417 ¥230.3K

23.55%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $715 in Budapest versus $467 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 24% 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 $56.0 in Budapest versus $34.00 in Setagaya-ku. Groceries tell a different story – $241 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 24%, 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 $2,194 per month in Budapest and $1,766 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 117% less in Setagaya-ku. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $450 per month in Budapest and $285 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 $1,177, than in Budapest at $1,463. 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.