Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Surat

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $808 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
Learn more

Surat Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Surat

🇮🇳 India

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Surat

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $808 in Surat, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Surat $808

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $861 in Surat, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Surat $861

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $914 in Surat, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Surat $914

Budapest costs about 104% more than Surat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Surat is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,407

$3.10 ₹293

339.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.6K

$10.72 ₹1,012

465.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,239

$3.25 ₹307

208.31%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,075

$1.87 ₹176

78.07%

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

$2.12 Ft 684

$0.32 ₹30.00

562.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 581

$0.15 ₹14.05

1100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,166

$3.13 ₹296

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,160

$3.45 ₹326

4.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 361

$0.71 ₹66.8

57.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 623

$0.48 ₹45.21

302.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.72 ₹67.6

245.83%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,275

$0.96 ₹90.6

310.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,646

$4.45 ₹421

153.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,177

$2.86 ₹270

135.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,670

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 601

$1.68 ₹159

10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 658

$0.63 ₹59.3

223.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 740

$0.78 ₹74.1

193.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,290

$0.57 ₹54.1

600.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 304

$0.38 ₹36.08

147.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 330

$0.44 ₹41.49

131.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 534

$0.50 ₹47.17

230.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 221

$0.30 ₹28.05

126.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,526

$5.11 ₹483

52.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,946

$7.47 ₹706

-19.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 418

$1.88 ₹177

-31.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 655

$3.00 ₹283

-32.67%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.28 ₹593

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 484

$0.22 ₹20.83

581.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,769

$3.14 ₹297

764.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,085

$0.65 ₹61.0

416.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.20 ₹18.89

585.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,451

$1.08 ₹102

1748.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 603

$1.15 ₹109

61.74%

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

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

$11.4K ₹1.1M

149.56%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$18.8K ₹1.8M

77.21%

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

$178 Ft 57.6K

$37.48 ₹3,541

375.37%

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

$23.58 Ft 7,623

$3.69 ₹349

539.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,797

$7.46 ₹704

223.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.5K

$18.93 ₹1,789

268.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,505

$5.23 ₹494

225.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,388

$2.99 ₹283

250.50%

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

$625 Ft 202.1K

$33.96 ₹3,208

1740.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

$1,265 ₹119.5K

1452.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.0K

$22.77 ₹2,151

348.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.0K

$25.28 ₹2,388

71.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.5K

$41.77 ₹3,946

162.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.0K

$32.83 ₹3,101

267.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 273.3K

$207 ₹19.6K

308.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 206.4K

$490 ₹46.3K

30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 520.1K

$392 ₹37.0K

310.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 393.5K

$242 ₹22.8K

403.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

$664 ₹62.8K

736.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

$370 ₹34.9K

954.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 557.5K

$283 ₹26.7K

509.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

9.17

-30.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Surat: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Surat

$490 60.7% 23.2% $148

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Surat

$102 12.7% 60.6% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Surat

$49 6% 78.5% $177

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Surat

$81 10.1% 63% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Surat

$55 6.8% 67.4% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Surat

$25 3.1% 72.5% $66

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Surat

$5.7 0.7% 86.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $207 in Surat. 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 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $11 in Surat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $102 – making Surat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇮🇳 Surat

🕒 Local time

00:47 12:47 AM

05:17 5:17 AM

4 h 30 min ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

6,936,534

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Surat 5,590 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $1,213 in Surat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $207 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Surat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Budapest and $34 in Surat. 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 Surat, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Surat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surat – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Surat. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.