Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Tukums

For one person, living is cheaper in Tukums: $1,160 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,641
/mo nomad
Tukums
🇱🇻 Latvia
$1,160
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Tukums

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,160 in Tukums, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,641
  • Tukums $1,160

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,643 in Tukums, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,562
  • Tukums $1,643

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,125 in Tukums, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,483
  • Tukums $2,125

Budapest costs about 41% more than Tukums, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Tukums is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.04 Ft 4,536
$5.43 €4.83
158.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 Ft 19.7K
$22.70 €20.19
168.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 Ft 3,351
$9.08 €8.08
14.21%
Cappuccino
$3.46 Ft 1,117
$3.74 €3.33
-7.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 Ft 669
$1.65 €1.47
25.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 Ft 572
$1.14 €1.01
55.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 Ft 1,191
$5.67 €5.04
-34.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 Ft 1,229
$5.09 €4.53
-25.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 Ft 374
$1.04 €0.92
11.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 Ft 598
$1.45 €1.29
27.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.40 Ft 776
$2.51 €2.23
-4.38%
Eggs
$3.99 Ft 1,289
$1.96 €1.75
103.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 Ft 3,683
$9.14 €8.13
24.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.87 Ft 2,221
$6.52 €5.80
5.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.49 Ft 4,682
$13.77 €12.25
5.23%
Apples (1kg)
$1.88 Ft 607
$2.08 €1.85
-9.62%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 Ft 693
$1.75 €1.55
22.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 Ft 744
$2.44 €2.17
-5.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.04 Ft 1,304
$3.25 €2.89
24.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 Ft 329
$0.58 €0.52
75.86%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.87 €0.78
13.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 510
$1.76 €1.57
-10.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 Ft 225
$0.58 €0.51
20.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.03 Ft 2,594
$6.74 €6.00
19.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 Ft 1,997
$7.72 €6.87
-19.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 Ft 401
$1.17 €1.04
5.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 Ft 666
$2.03 €1.80
1.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 Ft 513
$1.09 €0.97
45.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.52 Ft 8,893
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 Ft 1,110
$3.42 €3.04
0.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 Ft 431
$1.02 €0.91
30.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.45 Ft 6,607
$17.41 €15.49
17.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 Ft 624
$1.86 €1.65
3.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K Ft 9.4M
$26.8K €23.8K
8.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K Ft 11.2M
$31.3K €27.8K
10.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$175 Ft 56.4K
$283 €252
-38.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.62 Ft 7,631
$16.72 €14.87
41.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.60 Ft 7,625
$20.04 €17.83
17.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.8 Ft 22.2K
$35.42 €31.50
94.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.26 Ft 6,224
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.31 Ft 3,333
$11.37 €10.12
-9.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$535 Ft 172.9K
$692 €615
-22.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$18.1K €16.1K
-7.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.9 Ft 32.3K
$69.0 €61.4
44.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.27 Ft 14.0K
$49.83 €44.32
-13.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 Ft 36.1K
$78.3 €69.7
42.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$140 €124
-14.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$832 Ft 268.8K
$224 €200
270.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 203.3K
$219 €195
187.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 Ft 512.4K
$329 €292
382.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 Ft 386.6K
$336 €299
256.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,718 Ft 1.8M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,947 Ft 1.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Tukums
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,712 Ft 553.1K
$549 €488
212.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
4.77
35.22%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tukums: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Tukums
$219 65.2% $410
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$262
Tukums
$234 10.7% $28
Eating Out
Budapest
$226
Tukums
$165 27% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$222
Tukums
$320 44.2% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Tukums
$152 9.9% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$89
Tukums
$58 35% $31
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Tukums
$13 * 70.7% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $224 in Tukums. 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 212% 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 $23.00 in Tukums. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $234 – making Tukums the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇱🇻 Tukums
🕒 Local time
19:40 7:40 PM
20:40 8:40 PM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
19,729
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Tukums 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Tukums

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 Tukums: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tukums cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,740 in Tukums. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tukums, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Tukums?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $23.00 in Tukums. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Tukums?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Tukums?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tukums, where all-in costs run around $1,160, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Tukums it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Tukums more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tukums – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Tukums?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Tukums. 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.

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