Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Warsaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,051 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Warsaw outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
Learn more

Warsaw Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Warsaw

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $2,051 in Warsaw, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Warsaw $2,051

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,950 in Warsaw, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Warsaw $2,950

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $3,850 in Warsaw, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Warsaw $3,850

Budapest is about 20% cheaper than Warsaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Warsaw sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Warsaw by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$11.43 zł 44.39

22.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$62.0 zł 241

-1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$10.30 zł 40.03

0.68%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$4.22 zł 16.38

-18.01%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.21 zł 8.59

-6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$2.20 zł 8.54

-19.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$4.59 zł 17.84

-19.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$5.01 zł 19.46

-24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.10 zł 4.27

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.47 zł 5.71

25.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.62 zł 6.29

48.15%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$3.92 zł 15.22

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$9.08 zł 35.28

25.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$6.39 zł 24.82

7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$14.50 zł 56.3

-0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.17 zł 4.55

60.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.75 zł 6.81

22.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.76 zł 6.84

30.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$4.08 zł 15.87

-0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.90 zł 3.51

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.94 zł 3.64

5.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.41 zł 5.48

12.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.70 zł 2.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$6.37 zł 24.76

26.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$6.48 zł 25.16

-4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.16 zł 4.51

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.73 zł 6.71

19.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.16 zł 4.51

37.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$28.24 zł 110

-2.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$2.55 zł 9.91

34.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.26 zł 4.90

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$12.94 zł 50.3

58.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.76 zł 6.86

9.66%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$30.6K zł 119.0K

-4.86%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$30.5K zł 118.4K

13.93%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$340 zł 1,323

-48.72%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$9.07 zł 35.22

160.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$16.28 zł 63.3

44.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$47.15 zł 183

46.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$28.50 zł 111

-32.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$9.01 zł 35.02

14.43%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$599 zł 2,327

-10.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.3K zł 55.7K

17.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$106 zł 414

-6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$39.28 zł 153

10.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$107 zł 416

4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$111 zł 433

6.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$1,173 zł 4,557

-29.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$956 zł 3,713

-34.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$2,103 zł 8,170

-24.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$1,559 zł 6,056

-23.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$6,040 zł 23.5K

-5.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$3,932 zł 15.3K

0.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$2,093 zł 8,133

-18.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.68

-3.44%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Warsaw: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Warsaw

$956 46.6% 51.9% $327

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Warsaw

$235 11.5% 10.1% $26

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Warsaw

$224 10.9% 1.2% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Warsaw

$366 17.8% 64.9% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Warsaw

$164 8% 2.5% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Warsaw

$65 3.2% 27.2% $24

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Warsaw

$42 2% 5.1% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $1,173 in Warsaw. 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 22% higher in Warsaw, 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 $62.0 in Warsaw. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $235 in Warsaw – so Warsaw wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,861,599 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR 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).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Warsaw 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Warsaw

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 Warsaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Warsaw costs about 25% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $3,077 in Warsaw. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 3% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $599 in Warsaw. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Warsaw at $2,051. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Warsaw it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Warsaw makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.