Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Szentendre

For one person, living is cheaper in Szentendre: $1,455 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Szentendre
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Szentendre Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Szentendre

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Szentendre

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,455 in Szentendre, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Szentendre $1,455

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,091 in Szentendre, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Szentendre $2,091

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,726 in Szentendre, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Szentendre $2,726

Budapest costs about 11% more than Szentendre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Szentendre sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Szentendre by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$12.75 Ft 4,118

9.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$55.7 Ft 18.0K

9.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$9.05 Ft 2,923

12.60%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.67 Ft 862

22.10%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.90 Ft 613

12.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.15 Ft 370

54.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.32 Ft 1,074

11.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.87 Ft 927

31.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.14 Ft 370

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.44 Ft 464

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.33 Ft 754

6.87%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.36 Ft 1,086

16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$11.26 Ft 3,636

-1.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.07 Ft 1,963

9.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.74 Ft 4,438

6.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.91 Ft 616

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.11 Ft 682

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.02 Ft 654

17.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.80 Ft 1,229

2.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.01 Ft 325

-1.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.98 Ft 318

2.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.55 Ft 502

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.53 Ft 170

26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$7.84 Ft 2,532

1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.97 Ft 1,928

4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.27 Ft 410

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.63 Ft 527

24.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.19 Ft 385

27.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$28.79 Ft 9,302

-2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.03 Ft 979

9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.39 Ft 449

-1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$18.38 Ft 5,938

7.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.91 Ft 619

-4.71%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.9K Ft 9.3M

3.09%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$33.7K Ft 10.9M

0.27%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$153 Ft 49.5K

11.63%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$30.94 Ft 9,995

-24.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$23.11 Ft 7,465

0.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$45.59 Ft 14.7K

48.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$19.51 Ft 6,302

-3.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$7.78 Ft 2,513

19.54%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$493 Ft 159.3K

8.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$16.3K Ft 5.3M

2.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$89.6 Ft 28.9K

11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$27.81 Ft 8,986

56.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$99.0 Ft 32.0K

11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$105 Ft 33.9K

13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$613 Ft 198.1K

35.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$560 Ft 181.0K

11.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$770 Ft 248.7K

107.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$690 Ft 223.0K

69.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,102 Ft 1.0M

87.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$3,848 Ft 1.2M

1.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,545 Ft 499.1K

6.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Szentendre: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Szentendre

$560 38.5% 9.9% $62

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Szentendre

$242 16.7% 6.1% $16

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Szentendre

$196 13.5% 12.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Szentendre

$207 14.3% 4.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Szentendre

$145 9.9% 13.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Szentendre

$61 4.2% 29% $25

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Szentendre

$44 3% 1.6% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $613 in Szentendre. 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 7% 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $56.0 in Szentendre. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $242 – making Szentendre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Szentendre

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

28,444

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Budapest vs Szentendre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,182 in Szentendre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 3% less in Szentendre. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $493 in Szentendre. 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 Szentendre, where all-in costs run around $1,455, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Szentendre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szentendre – 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 Szentendre. 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.