Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Szombathely

For one person, living is cheaper in Szombathely: $1,222 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
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Budapest Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Szombathely
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Szombathely Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Szombathely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Szombathely

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,222 in Szombathely, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Szombathely $1,222

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $1,944 in Szombathely, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Szombathely $1,944

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,666 in Szombathely, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Szombathely $2,666

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,526

$11.43 Ft 3,746

20.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.1K

$53.7 Ft 17.6K

14.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,329

$9.03 Ft 2,961

12.51%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,056

$2.36 Ft 772

36.44%

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

$2.06 Ft 676

$1.29 Ft 422

59.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 601

$1.22 Ft 399

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,181

$1.71 Ft 559

110.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,201

$2.24 Ft 735

63.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 390

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 613

$1.63 Ft 534

14.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 776

$2.49 Ft 817

-4.82%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,298

$3.26 Ft 1,068

21.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,659

$10.39 Ft 3,405

7.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,215

$6.78 Ft 2,224

-0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,704

$16.03 Ft 5,254

-10.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 592

$2.23 Ft 729

-18.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 691

$2.04 Ft 669

3.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 765

$2.39 Ft 783

-2.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,247

$3.42 Ft 1,122

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 325

$1.07 Ft 351

-7.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 322

$1.39 Ft 456

-29.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 509

$1.77 Ft 581

-12.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 228

$0.55 Ft 180

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,554

$8.90 Ft 2,916

-12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,983

$4.45 Ft 1,457

35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 419

$1.27 Ft 416

0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 668

$2.52 Ft 827

-19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 508

$0.83 Ft 271

86.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,943

$26.83 Ft 8,795

1.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,081

$2.67 Ft 877

23.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 430

$1.33 Ft 436

-1.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,640

$23.51 Ft 7,705

-13.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 596

$1.81 Ft 594

0.55%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.4M

$27.3K Ft 9.0M

5.04%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.8M

$33.0K Ft 10.8M

0.15%

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

$172 Ft 56.4K

$166 Ft 54.5K

3.47%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,851

$20.51 Ft 6,722

16.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,641

$21.05 Ft 6,900

10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.5K

$51.0 Ft 16.7K

34.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,199

$17.97 Ft 5,890

5.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,337

$4.46 Ft 1,463

128.25%

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

$600 Ft 196.8K

$433 Ft 141.8K

38.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$7,571 Ft 2.5M

121.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.5K

$100 Ft 32.9K

-1.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

$51.6 Ft 16.9K

-16.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.0K

$96.0 Ft 31.5K

17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.4K

$111 Ft 36.5K

5.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 274.1K

$521 Ft 170.9K

60.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 209.7K

$329 Ft 107.9K

94.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 523.9K

$746 Ft 244.7K

114.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 395.0K

$643 Ft 210.7K

87.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.8M

$2,419 Ft 792.8K

132.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.2M

$1,983 Ft 649.9K

91.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 547.9K

$1,165 Ft 381.8K

43.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.5

-14.00%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Szombathely

$329 26.9% 48.5% $311

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Szombathely

$254 20.8% 1.6% $4

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Szombathely

$170 13.9% 23% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Szombathely

$208 17% 5.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Szombathely

$162 13.2% 3.5% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Szombathely

$60 4.9% 32.6% $29

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Szombathely

$39 3.2% 9% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $521 in Szombathely. 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 44% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $54 in Szombathely. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $254 – making Szombathely the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Szombathely

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

77,757

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Budapest vs Szombathely: 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 Szombathely. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szombathely, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $521 there versus $836 in Budapest.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest and $54 in Szombathely. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $433 in Szombathely. 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 Szombathely, where all-in costs run around $1,222, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Szombathely it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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