Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Umluj

For one person, living is cheaper in Umluj: $1,182 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Umluj
Learn more

Umluj Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Umluj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Umluj

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,182 in Umluj, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Umluj $1,182

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,758 in Umluj, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Umluj $1,758

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,333 in Umluj, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Umluj $2,333

Budapest costs about 37% more than Umluj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Umluj is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.97 SAR 22.41

133.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$37.58 SAR 141

62.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$8.20 SAR 30.76

24.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.57

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.26 SAR 12.23

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.84 SAR 3.14

154.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.26 SAR 0.98

584.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.68 SAR 6.30

-31.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.31 SAR 4.91

36.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.38 SAR 8.92

4.62%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.40 SAR 9.00

62.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.60 SAR 28.54

46.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$7.66 SAR 28.76

-13.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$13.06 SAR 48.99

12.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.23 SAR 8.39

-17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.70 SAR 6.38

20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.65 SAR 6.20

43.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.63 SAR 6.13

139.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.17 SAR 4.40

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.32 SAR 4.96

-24.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.26 SAR 4.73

25.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.58 SAR 2.17

15.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$6.57 SAR 24.65

21.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.09 SAR 4.10

39.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$36.82 SAR 138

-23.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.63 SAR 9.86

25.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.85 SAR 6.93

-25.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$13.56 SAR 50.9

46.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.65 SAR 2.43

180.00%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$44.5K SAR 167.0K

-33.03%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

56.91%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$102 SAR 383

67.72%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$32.15 SAR 121

-26.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$66.5 SAR 250

-65.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$81.2 SAR 305

-16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$13.16 SAR 49.37

-29.33%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$428 SAR 1,608

24.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$8,089 SAR 30.4K

107.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$41.94 SAR 157

137.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$54.3 SAR 204

-19.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$98.1 SAR 368

12.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$85.9 SAR 322

38.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$581 SAR 2,180

42.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$375 SAR 1,409

65.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$810 SAR 3,039

96.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$578 SAR 2,171

102.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,332 SAR 8,752

150.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,372 SAR 5,150

183.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$4,243 SAR 15.9K

-61.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.54

16.43%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Umluj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Umluj

$376 31.8% 39.6% $246

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Umluj

$204 17.2% 21.1% $54

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Umluj

$116 9.8% 48% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Umluj

$201 17% 7.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Umluj

$126 10.7% 24.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Umluj

$108 9.1% 24.8% $21

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Umluj

$53 4.5% 19.9% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $581 in Umluj. 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 157% higher in Umluj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $38.00 in Umluj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $204 – making Umluj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇦 Umluj

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

37,757

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Umluj 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Budapest
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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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 37%, 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 $1,773 in Umluj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 31% less in Umluj. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $428 in Umluj. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Umluj, where all-in costs run around $1,182, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Umluj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Umluj – 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 Umluj. 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.