Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Shahrekord

For one person, living is cheaper in Shahrekord: $529 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Budapest, Hungary
Shahrekord, Iran
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,638
/mo nomad
Shahrekord
🇮🇷 Iran
$529
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Shahrekord

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $529 in Shahrekord, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,638
  • Shahrekord $529

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $830 in Shahrekord, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,553
  • Shahrekord $830

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $1,130 in Shahrekord, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,467
  • Shahrekord $1,130

Budapest costs about 209% more than Shahrekord, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Shahrekord is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.81 Ft 4,536
$2.56 $2.56
439.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.5 Ft 20.2K
$15.92 $15.92
286.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.16 Ft 3,336
$4.19 $4.19
142.48%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.66 $0.66
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.15 $1.15
-
Cappuccino
$3.22 Ft 1,058
$0.67 $0.67
380.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 Ft 677
$0.47 $0.47
338.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 Ft 603
$1.00 $1.00
83.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.60 Ft 1,184
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 Ft 1,203
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 Ft 391
$0.70 $0.70
70.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 Ft 614
$0.53 $0.53
252.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 777
$1.98 $1.98
19.70%
Eggs
$3.96 Ft 1,301
$1.15 $1.15
244.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.16 Ft 3,667
$4.38 $4.38
154.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.76 Ft 2,220
$3.63 $3.63
86.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.35 Ft 4,714
$8.87 $8.87
61.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.81 Ft 594
$0.97 $0.97
86.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.11 Ft 693
$1.62 $1.62
30.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 Ft 767
$0.87 $0.87
167.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.80 Ft 1,250
$0.61 $0.61
522.95%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 326
$0.54 $0.54
83.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.98 Ft 323
$0.50 $0.50
96.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 Ft 510
$0.54 $0.54
187.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 Ft 229
$0.29 $0.29
141.38%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.84 $0.84
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.55 $0.55
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.55 $1.55
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.79 Ft 2,560
$2.87 $2.87
171.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.05 Ft 1,988
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 Ft 420
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 Ft 669
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 Ft 509
$0.15 $0.15
933.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.28 Ft 8,962
$10.12 $10.12
169.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 Ft 1,083
$0.38 $0.38
768.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 Ft 431
$0.28 $0.28
367.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.26 Ft 6,654
$2.94 $2.94
589.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 598
$0.10 $0.10
1720.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.7K Ft 9.4M
$45.5K $45.5K
-36.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.1K Ft 10.9M
$45.2K $45.2K
-26.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 Ft 56.6K
$11.69 $11.69
1372.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.95 Ft 7,868
$1.58 $1.58
1415.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.31 Ft 7,657
$4.13 $4.13
464.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.6 Ft 22.5K
$18.28 $18.28
275.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.91 Ft 6,212
$13.10 $13.10
44.35%
Cinema Ticket
$10.18 Ft 3,344
$1.92 $1.92
430.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$600 Ft 197.2K
$92.9 $92.9
546.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.5M
$2,147 $2,147
681.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.0 Ft 32.5K
$23.07 $23.07
329.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.25 Ft 14.2K
$28.39 $28.39
52.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 Ft 37.1K
$108 $108
4.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 Ft 38.5K
$73.8 $73.8
58.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$836 Ft 274.6K
$295 $295
183.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$640 Ft 210.2K
$214 $214
199.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 Ft 525.0K
$892 $892
79.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 Ft 395.8K
$349 $349
244.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,625 Ft 1.8M
$903 $903
522.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,802 Ft 1.2M
$495 $495
668.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Shahrekord
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,671 Ft 549.0K
$200 $200
734.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
24.3
-73.46%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Shahrekord: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$640
Shahrekord
$214 66.6% $426
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Shahrekord
$112 56.6% $146
Eating Out
Budapest
$221
Shahrekord
$47 78.7% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$219
Shahrekord
$17 92.1% $202
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Shahrekord
$105 37.4% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$89
Shahrekord
$22 75.1% $67
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Shahrekord
$13 71.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $295 in Shahrekord. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 8.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $16 in Shahrekord. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $112 – making Shahrekord the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇮🇷 Shahrekord
🕒 Local time
23:24 11:24 PM
01:54 1:54 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
129,153
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 328 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD). 1 EUR = 366 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Shahrekord 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Shahrekord

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 Shahrekord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shahrekord cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 209%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $794 in Shahrekord. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shahrekord, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $295 there versus $836 in Budapest.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 63% less in Shahrekord. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $93 in Shahrekord. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Shahrekord?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shahrekord, where all-in costs run around $529, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Shahrekord it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Shahrekord more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Shahrekord – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Shahrekord?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Shahrekord. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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