Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $551 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Shiraz

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $551 in Shiraz, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Shiraz $551

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $810 in Shiraz, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Shiraz $810

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,069 in Shiraz, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Shiraz $1,069

Budapest costs about 194% more than Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Shiraz is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$4.62 $4.62

202.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$13.16 $13.16

358.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$3.92 $3.92

154.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$1.17 $1.17

188.89%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$0.66 $0.66

222.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$0.67 $0.67

68.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$0.41 $0.41

348.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.90 $1.90

25.79%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$1.22 $1.22

213.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$2.35 $2.35

382.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$2.95 $2.95

128.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$9.81 $9.81

49.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$1.12 $1.12

64.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$1.54 $1.54

30.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$0.89 $0.89

165.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$0.55 $0.55

585.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$0.55 $0.55

74.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$0.55 $0.55

87.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.51 $0.51

205.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.17 $0.17

288.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.87 $0.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$3.04 $3.04

161.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.11 $0.11

1263.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$3.09 $3.09

793.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$0.38 $0.38

768.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.21 $0.21

519.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$3.44 $3.44

475.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$66.0K $66.0K

-55.55%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$53.1K $53.1K

-35.79%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$23.64 $23.64

618.87%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$2.06 $2.06

1064.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$17.07 $17.07

37.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$18.96 $18.96

249.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$13.51 $13.51

41.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$1.98 $1.98

380.81%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$104 $104

416.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$2,421 $2,421

585.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$22.81 $22.81

344.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$18.49 $18.49

132.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$95.2 $95.2

18.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$56.0 $56.0

111.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$291 $291

177.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$217 $217

190.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$537 $537

188.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$321 $321

263.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,164 $1,164

382.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$503 $503

689.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$243 $243

570.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

24.3

-73.54%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Shiraz

$217 40% 65.6% $413

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Shiraz

$103 18.9% 60.2% $155

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Shiraz

$65 * 12.1% 70.8% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Shiraz

$43 7.9% 80.3% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Shiraz

$87 16% 48.8% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Shiraz

$23 4.2% 73.1% $62

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Shiraz

$5 0.9% 88.6% $38

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 $291 in Shiraz. 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 570% 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 $13.00 in Shiraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $103 – making Shiraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,565,572

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Shiraz 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 194%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $826 in Shiraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 794% less in Shiraz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $104 in Shiraz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shiraz, where all-in costs run around $551, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Shiraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shiraz – 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 Shiraz. 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.