Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Szeged

For one person, living is cheaper in Szeged: $1,223 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Szeged
Learn more

Szeged Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Szeged

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Szeged

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,223 in Szeged, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Szeged $1,223

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $1,918 in Szeged, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Szeged $1,918

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,613 in Szeged, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Szeged $2,613

Budapest costs about 34% more than Szeged, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Szeged is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,548

$9.23 Ft 3,041

49.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.2K

$58.0 Ft 19.1K

5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,345

$9.04 Ft 2,979

12.39%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,061

$2.37 Ft 781

35.86%

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

$2.06 Ft 679

$1.57 Ft 518

31.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 604

$1.31 Ft 431

39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,187

$2.23 Ft 736

61.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,207

$2.31 Ft 759

58.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 392

$1.18 Ft 389

0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 616

$1.35 Ft 445

38.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 779

$2.43 Ft 802

-2.47%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,304

$3.56 Ft 1,174

11.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,677

$10.68 Ft 3,517

4.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,226

$6.58 Ft 2,167

2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,727

$15.85 Ft 5,220

-9.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 595

$2.19 Ft 720

-17.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 695

$2.25 Ft 742

-6.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 769

$2.00 Ft 658

16.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,253

$3.34 Ft 1,099

13.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 327

$1.03 Ft 338

-3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 324

$1.04 Ft 343

-5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 511

$1.59 Ft 525

-2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 229

$0.50 Ft 165

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,567

$7.94 Ft 2,614

-1.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,993

$5.18 Ft 1,705

16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 421

$1.23 Ft 405

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 671

$1.98 Ft 651

3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 511

$1.71 Ft 564

-9.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,987

$28.69 Ft 9,449

-4.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,086

$3.03 Ft 998

8.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 433

$1.64 Ft 541

-20.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,673

$18.32 Ft 6,034

10.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 599

$1.82 Ft 598

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

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

$26.9K Ft 8.9M

6.62%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

$35.5K Ft 11.7M

-6.81%

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

$172 Ft 56.7K

$128 Ft 42.1K

34.80%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,890

$21.90 Ft 7,215

9.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,679

$19.74 Ft 6,504

18.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

$51.5 Ft 16.9K

33.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,229

$29.38 Ft 9,678

-35.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,353

$8.64 Ft 2,846

17.82%

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

$600 Ft 197.8K

$250 Ft 82.4K

140.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$6,580 Ft 2.2M

155.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

$112 Ft 37.0K

-11.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

$32.50 Ft 10.7K

33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.2K

$93.6 Ft 30.8K

20.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.6K

$110 Ft 36.3K

6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 275.4K

$518 Ft 170.6K

61.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 210.7K

$375 Ft 123.6K

70.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 526.5K

$739 Ft 243.4K

116.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 396.9K

$615 Ft 202.7K

95.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

$3,210 Ft 1.1M

75.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

$2,316 Ft 763.0K

64.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 550.6K

$1,224 Ft 403.2K

36.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.67

-3.30%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Szeged: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Szeged

$375 30.7% 41.4% $265

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Szeged

$249 20.4% 3.7% $9.5

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Szeged

$157 12.8% 28.9% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Szeged

$169 13.9% 22.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Szeged

$157 12.8% 6.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Szeged

$69 5.6% 22.7% $20

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Szeged

$47 3.8% 7.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $518 in Szeged. 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 37% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $58 in Szeged. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $249 – making Szeged the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Szeged

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

157,930

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Szeged 160 km

From you

Budapest
Szeged

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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $1,834 in Szeged. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szeged, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $518 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $250 in Szeged. 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 Szeged, where all-in costs run around $1,223, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Szeged it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szeged – 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 Szeged. 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.