Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Szolnok

For one person, living is cheaper in Szolnok: $1,098 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Szolnok
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Szolnok Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Szolnok

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Szolnok

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,098 in Szolnok, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Szolnok $1,098

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $1,684 in Szolnok, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Szolnok $1,684

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,270 in Szolnok, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Szolnok $2,270

Budapest costs about 49% more than Szolnok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Szolnok is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,526

$9.47 Ft 3,105

45.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.1K

$46.52 Ft 15.2K

32.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,329

$8.12 Ft 2,663

25.12%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,056

$2.36 Ft 774

36.44%

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

$2.06 Ft 676

$1.92 Ft 631

7.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 601

$1.21 Ft 396

51.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,181

$2.55 Ft 837

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,201

$2.71 Ft 887

35.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 390

$0.95 Ft 310

25.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 613

$1.23 Ft 403

52.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 776

$1.58 Ft 519

50.00%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,298

$3.05 Ft 999

29.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,659

$7.33 Ft 2,402

52.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,215

$6.53 Ft 2,139

3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,704

$13.49 Ft 4,421

6.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 592

$1.50 Ft 490

20.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 691

$1.70 Ft 557

24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 765

$1.52 Ft 498

53.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,247

$2.39 Ft 783

59.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 325

$0.64 Ft 208

54.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 322

$0.72 Ft 236

36.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 509

$1.03 Ft 337

50.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 228

$0.37 Ft 123

89.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,554

$6.69 Ft 2,192

16.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,983

$3.60 Ft 1,179

68.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 419

$0.89 Ft 292

43.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 668

$1.27 Ft 417

60.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 508

$1.05 Ft 343

47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,943

$25.83 Ft 8,467

5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,081

$2.96 Ft 972

11.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 430

$2.25 Ft 738

-41.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,640

$14.69 Ft 4,817

37.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 596

$1.79 Ft 586

1.68%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.4M

$27.5K Ft 9.0M

4.37%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.8M

$35.8K Ft 11.7M

-7.67%

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

$172 Ft 56.4K

$128 Ft 41.9K

34.60%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,851

$29.03 Ft 9,516

-17.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,641

$22.08 Ft 7,239

5.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.5K

$41.65 Ft 13.7K

64.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,199

$18.19 Ft 5,961

3.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,337

$3.22 Ft 1,054

216.15%

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

$600 Ft 196.8K

$152 Ft 50.0K

293.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$4,885 Ft 1.6M

243.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.5K

$81.7 Ft 26.8K

21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

$50.3 Ft 16.5K

-13.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.0K

$88.4 Ft 29.0K

27.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.4K

$116 Ft 38.2K

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 274.1K

$403 Ft 132.0K

107.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 209.7K

$319 Ft 104.5K

100.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 523.9K

$638 Ft 209.2K

150.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 395.0K

$497 Ft 163.0K

142.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.8M

$1,994 Ft 653.7K

182.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.2M

$1,629 Ft 534.1K

133.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 547.9K

$1,046 Ft 342.7K

59.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.69

-16.12%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Szolnok

$319 29% 50.2% $321

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Szolnok

$197 18% 23.7% $61

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Szolnok

$159 14.5% 27.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Szolnok

$179 16.3% 18.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Szolnok

$152 13.8% 9.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Szolnok

$48 4.4% 45.9% $41

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Szolnok

$44 4% 2.1% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $403 in Szolnok. 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 60% 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 Szolnok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $197 – making Szolnok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Szolnok

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

66,426

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Budapest vs Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 49%, 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 $1,647 in Szolnok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szolnok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $403 there versus $836 in Budapest.

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

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $152 in Szolnok. 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 $1,638 in Budapest and $1,098 in Szolnok. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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