Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Tema

For one person, living is cheaper in Tema: $738 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
Learn more

Tema Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Tema

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $738 in Tema, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Tema $738

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,173 in Tema, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Tema $1,173

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,608 in Tema, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Tema $1,608

Budapest costs about 120% more than Tema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Tema is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$7.03 GHS 82.4

99.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$27.88 GHS 327

116.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$5.05 GHS 59.2

-33.07%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$0.90 GHS 10.56

136.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.30 GHS 3.55

523.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$3.29 GHS 38.60

13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$2.61 GHS 30.61

36.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$3.16 GHS 37.11

-64.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$1.60 GHS 18.81

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.07 GHS 24.29

15.46%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$2.30 GHS 27.02

66.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$4.38 GHS 51.4

158.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$3.17 GHS 37.14

112.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$3.38 GHS 39.66

334.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$2.61 GHS 30.66

-29.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$2.13 GHS 25.02

-5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.21 GHS 25.97

6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$3.49 GHS 40.95

8.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$3.40 GHS 39.91

-71.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$2.82 GHS 33.06

-63.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.45 GHS 5.25

246.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.67 GHS 7.84

-1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$1.26 GHS 14.83

531.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$8.54 GHS 100

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$2.10 GHS 24.59

-38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$2.96 GHS 34.74

-29.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$1.68 GHS 19.70

-10.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$41.17 GHS 483

-32.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$2.10 GHS 24.69

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.41 GHS 4.82

217.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.19 GHS 13.96

52.10%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$78.2 GHS 917

117.37%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$15.22 GHS 179

57.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$82.5 GHS 968

-71.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$24.06 GHS 282

175.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$8.80 GHS 103

8.18%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$174 GHS 2,046

207.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$2,544 GHS 29.8K

552.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$13.07 GHS 153

675.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$15.40 GHS 181

179.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$42.37 GHS 497

166.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$32.20 GHS 378

268.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$126 GHS 1,483

537.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$71.3 GHS 836

782.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$426 GHS 4,999

263.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$209 GHS 2,451

458.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$9,909 GHS 116.2K

-43.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$5,903 GHS 69.2K

-32.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$419 GHS 4,913

288.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

-81.63%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tema: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Tema

$71 9.6% 88.7% $558

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Tema

$216 28.9% 16.3% $42

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Tema

$143 * 19.2% 36.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Tema

$176 23.6% 19% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Tema

$46 6.2% 72.6% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Tema

$42 5.6% 51.2% $44

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Tema

$52 7% 19.8% $8.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $126 in Tema. 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 288% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $28.00 in Tema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $216 – making Tema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇭 Tema

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

2 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

160,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 GHS = 8.53 USD

100 GHS = 7.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.73 GHS (100 GHS = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 13.16 GHS (100 GHS = 7.6 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Tema 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,107 in Tema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 49% less in Tema. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $174 in Tema. 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 Tema, where all-in costs run around $738, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Tema it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tema – 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 Tema. 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.