Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Utena

For one person, living is cheaper in Utena: $1,317 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Utena
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Utena Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Utena

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Utena

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,317 in Utena, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Utena $1,317

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,028 in Utena, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Utena $2,028

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,739 in Utena, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Utena $2,739

Budapest costs about 25% more than Utena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Utena is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$12.22 €10.87

14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$50.7 €45.13

20.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$6.77 €6.02

53.18%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$3.15 €2.80

9.84%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.65 €2.36

-21.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.85 €1.64

-4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$5.50 €4.89

-32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$5.04 €4.48

-24.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.22 €1.08

-4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.51 €1.34

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.74 €1.55

37.93%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.82 €2.51

41.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$10.08 €8.96

13.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$5.60 €4.98

22.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$9.72 €8.65

49.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.61 €1.43

16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.39 €1.24

53.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.70 €1.51

35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$2.95 €2.63

36.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.74 €0.66

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.98 €0.87

1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.47 €1.31

7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.78 €0.70

-10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$5.74 €5.11

39.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$8.22 €7.32

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.59 €1.42

-22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.74 €1.55

18.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.13 €1.01

40.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$32.66 €29.05

-15.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$3.14 €2.79

9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.81 €0.72

64.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$13.14 €11.69

55.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.81 €1.61

6.63%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$27.2K €24.2K

7.20%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$28.0K €24.9K

24.12%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$208 €185

-15.93%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$13.18 €11.73

79.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$11.32 €10.07

108.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$39.99 €35.57

72.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$22.23 €19.78

-13.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$8.89 €7.91

15.97%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$471 €419

13.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$9,278 €8,253

81.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$136 €121

-26.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$63.9 €56.9

-32.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$79.3 €70.5

40.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$179 €160

-33.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$532 €474

56.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$347 €308

81.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$813 €723

95.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$630 €560

89.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$3,058 €2,720

86.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,829 €1,627

115.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$1,222 €1,087

40.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.97

62.47%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Utena: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Utena

$347 26.3% 44.9% $282

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Utena

$218 16.6% 16.6% $44

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Utena

$211 16.1% 6.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Utena

$232 17.6% 4.7% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Utena

$207 15.7% 22.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Utena

$58 4.4% 35.4% $32

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Utena

$44 3.4% 0.9% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $532 in Utena. 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 40% 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 $51.0 in Utena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $218 – making Utena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇱🇹 Utena

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

21:26 9:26 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

28,997

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

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).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Utena 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Utena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,976 in Utena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 19% less in Utena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $471 in Utena. 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 Utena, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Utena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Utena – 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 Utena. 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.