Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Vacoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Vacoas: $744 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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 Vacoas
Learn more

Vacoas Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Vacoas

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Vacoas

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $744 in Vacoas, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Vacoas $744

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,097 in Vacoas, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Vacoas $1,097

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,449 in Vacoas, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Vacoas $1,449

Budapest costs about 118% more than Vacoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Vacoas is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.89 MUR 277

136.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$31.22 MUR 1,470

96.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.20 MUR 292

64.35%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.61 MUR 123

24.90%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.12 MUR 52.9

91.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.63 MUR 29.80

182.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.56 MUR 121

44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.71 MUR 175

1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.45 MUR 68.5

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.73 MUR 34.35

145.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.15 MUR 54.1

116.52%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.28 MUR 107

71.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$2.70 MUR 127

311.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$2.55 MUR 120

159.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$11.16 MUR 525

31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.56 MUR 120

-28.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.15 MUR 101

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.44 MUR 67.9

64.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.03 MUR 143

28.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.99 MUR 46.66

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.96 MUR 45.20

4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.73 MUR 34.16

116.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.67 MUR 31.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$6.18 MUR 291

28.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.20 MUR 292

0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.44 MUR 67.8

-11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.33 MUR 110

-12.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.32 MUR 62.2

15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$4.27 MUR 201

-22.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$3.18 MUR 150

-56.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$4.33 MUR 204

357.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.34 MUR 62.9

35.82%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

3.04%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$31.3K MUR 1.5M

8.08%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$44.98 MUR 2,117

280.44%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$10.35 MUR 487

127.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$24.84 MUR 1,169

-6.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$25.74 MUR 1,212

162.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.12 MUR 241

81.64%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$125 MUR 5,897

325.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,480 MUR 352.1K

124.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$31.95 MUR 1,504

211.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$37.68 MUR 1,774

15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$63.2 MUR 2,976

74.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$47.93 MUR 2,257

148.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$265 MUR 12.5K

213.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$220 MUR 10.4K

182.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$471 MUR 22.2K

238.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$236 MUR 11.1K

396.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$690 MUR 32.5K

139.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.67

-3.30%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Vacoas

$220 29.6% 64.6% $402

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Vacoas

$177 23.7% 31.6% $81

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Vacoas

$124 16.7% 44.2% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Vacoas

$80 10.8% 63.2% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Vacoas

$81 10.9% 51.5% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Vacoas

$36 4.8% 58.2% $50

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Vacoas

$25 * 3.4% 42.5% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $265 in Vacoas. 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 139% 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 $31.00 in Vacoas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $177 – making Vacoas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇺 Vacoas

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

2 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

115,289

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Vacoas 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 118%, 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 $1,116 in Vacoas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $31.00 in Vacoas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vacoas, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Vacoas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vacoas – 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 Vacoas. 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.