Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Singapore

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $3,454 in Singapore, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Singapore $3,454

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $5,224 in Singapore, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Singapore $5,224

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $6,994 in Singapore, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Singapore $6,994

Budapest is about 53% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Singapore sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Singapore by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$11.53 SGD 14.77

21.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-15.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$8.76 SGD 11.22

13.70%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-35.62%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$1.83 SGD 2.34

16.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$1.25 SGD 1.60

49.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-64.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-61.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-25.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-11.81%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$3.73 SGD 4.77

2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-47.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-29.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-43.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-58.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-35.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-48.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$2.23 SGD 2.86

69.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-61.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-56.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-12.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-56.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-43.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-74.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-71.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-54.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-5.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$96.4 SGD 123

-71.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.80 SGD 1.02

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$16.18 SGD 20.72

22.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-27.89%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-81.18%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-76.60%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$175 SGD 224

-2.90%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$12.45 SGD 15.94

92.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$26.64 SGD 34.11

-12.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$112 SGD 143

-40.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$12.07 SGD 15.46

58.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-17.93%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-63.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-41.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$81.5 SGD 104

24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$112 SGD 143

1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$130 SGD 166

-8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-72.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-70.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-70.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-76.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-76.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-62.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

2.44

163.52%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 238% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 77.6% $200

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 14.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 1.5% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 0.6% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 58% $49

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 154% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $2,916 in Singapore. 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 169% higher in Singapore, 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 $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $457 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, 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).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Singapore 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $5,180 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 249% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $1,463 in Singapore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.