Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Szekszard

For one person, living is cheaper in Szekszard: $1,199 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Szekszard
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Szekszard Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Szekszard

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Szekszard

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $1,199 in Szekszard, rent included.

Budapest $1,647
Szekszard $1,199

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $1,835 in Szekszard, rent included.

Budapest $2,567
Szekszard $1,835

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $2,471 in Szekszard, rent included.

Budapest $3,488
Szekszard $2,471

Budapest costs about 37% more than Szekszard, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Szekszard is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,430

$12.17 Ft 3,956

12.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 Ft 19.7K

$46.57 Ft 15.1K

30.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 Ft 3,256

$9.14 Ft 2,968

9.63%

Cappuccino

$3.33 Ft 1,081

$1.58 Ft 514

110.76%

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

$2.12 Ft 688

$1.96 Ft 638

8.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Ft 584

$1.18 Ft 384

52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 Ft 1,172

$3.15 Ft 1,023

14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Ft 1,166

$2.79 Ft 908

28.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 363

$1.14 Ft 372

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 Ft 626

$1.45 Ft 472

33.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 808

$2.44 Ft 792

2.05%

Eggs

$3.94 Ft 1,282

$3.08 Ft 1,002

27.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 Ft 3,665

$11.02 Ft 3,583

2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 Ft 2,188

$6.20 Ft 2,013

8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,694

$13.44 Ft 4,368

7.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 604

$1.67 Ft 543

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 662

$1.95 Ft 635

4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 743

$1.98 Ft 644

15.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Ft 1,297

$2.71 Ft 881

47.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Ft 306

$1.04 Ft 337

-9.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 332

$1.24 Ft 404

-17.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 Ft 537

$1.69 Ft 550

-2.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 Ft 222

$0.45 Ft 146

51.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 Ft 2,539

$7.96 Ft 2,586

-1.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,956

$6.12 Ft 1,989

-1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 Ft 420

$1.12 Ft 364

15.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 658

$1.59 Ft 515

27.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 486

$1.25 Ft 408

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 Ft 8,814

$30.07 Ft 9,772

-9.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 Ft 1,091

$3.12 Ft 1,014

7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 447

$1.57 Ft 509

-12.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,485

$18.41 Ft 5,981

8.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Ft 606

$1.92 Ft 625

-3.12%

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

$28.5K Ft 9.3M

$32.4K Ft 10.5M

-11.99%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$34.3K Ft 11.2M

-2.78%

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

$178 Ft 57.9K

$122 Ft 39.7K

45.89%

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

$23.58 Ft 7,662

$18.34 Ft 5,960

28.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Ft 7,837

$23.26 Ft 7,557

3.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 Ft 22.6K

$51.9 Ft 16.8K

34.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Ft 5,533

$18.84 Ft 6,123

-9.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 Ft 3,406

$7.21 Ft 2,343

45.35%

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

$625 Ft 203.1K

$249 Ft 80.8K

151.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

$7,765 Ft 2.5M

152.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 33.2K

$60.9 Ft 19.8K

67.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 Ft 14.1K

$25.00 Ft 8,125

73.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$91.2 Ft 29.6K

20.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 39.2K

$75.8 Ft 24.6K

59.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 Ft 274.7K

$537 Ft 174.4K

57.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 207.4K

$399 Ft 129.6K

60.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 Ft 522.8K

$759 Ft 246.8K

111.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 Ft 395.5K

$651 Ft 211.5K

87.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

$1,644 Ft 534.3K

237.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

$1,217 Ft 395.4K

220.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 Ft 560.4K

$918 Ft 298.2K

87.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

8.25

-23.15%

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Szekszard: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$638 38.8%

Szekszard

$399 33.3% 37.5% $240

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$260 15.8%

Szekszard

$233 19.4% 10.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$226 13.7%

Szekszard

$164 13.7% 27.5% $62

Eating Out

Budapest

$220 13.4%

Szekszard

$178 14.8% 19.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.3%

Szekszard

$114 9.5% 32.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$91 5.5%

Szekszard

$66 5.5% 26.9% $24

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.6%

Szekszard

$46 3.8% 6.2% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $537 in Szekszard. 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 88% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $47 in Szekszard. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $233 – making Szekszard the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Szekszard

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

29,707

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Budapest vs Szekszard: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $1,799 in Szekszard. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szekszard, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $537 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Budapest and $249 in Szekszard. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,647 in Budapest and $1,199 in Szekszard. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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