Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Yamanashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Yamanashi: $1,193 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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 Yamanashi
Learn more

Yamanashi Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Yamanashi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Yamanashi

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,193 in Yamanashi, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Yamanashi $1,193

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,928 in Yamanashi, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Yamanashi $1,928

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,663 in Yamanashi, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Yamanashi $2,663

Budapest costs about 36% more than Yamanashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.69 ¥1,373

60.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$32.03 ¥5,060

91.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.17 ¥817

97.10%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.43 ¥384

34.16%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.24 ¥196

72.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.81 ¥127

119.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.08 ¥486

20.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.21 ¥507

17.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.91 ¥144

26.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.79 ¥125

126.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.29 ¥204

93.02%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.61 ¥254

142.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$12.72 ¥2,010

-12.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.52 ¥872

19.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$16.70 ¥2,638

-12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$5.09 ¥805

-64.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$3.02 ¥477

-32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.94 ¥307

22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.57 ¥564

9.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.72 ¥271

-42.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.44 ¥385

-59.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.10 ¥174

43.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.72 ¥114

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.84 ¥606

107.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$9.51 ¥1,502

-34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.62 ¥413

-51.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.07 ¥327

-1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.49 ¥235

2.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$49.25 ¥7,780

-43.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.18 ¥502

4.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$2.77 ¥438

-50.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$15.55 ¥2,457

27.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.06 ¥167

71.70%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

35.23%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

126.81%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$115 ¥18.2K

48.55%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$23.26 ¥3,674

1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$30.67 ¥4,846

-24.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$51.7 ¥8,174

30.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$11.55 ¥1,825

-19.48%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$580 ¥91.6K

-8.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.7K ¥2.3M

13.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$50.0 ¥7,904

99.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$35.45 ¥5,601

22.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$59.8 ¥9,448

84.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$95.8 ¥15.1K

24.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$523 ¥82.6K

58.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$351 ¥55.5K

77.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,251 ¥197.6K

27.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$843 ¥133.2K

38.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,889 ¥614.4K

49.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,885 ¥297.9K

106.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$4,536 ¥716.6K

-63.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.02

219.31%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yamanashi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Yamanashi

$351 29.4% 43.5% $271

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Yamanashi

$273 22.9% 5.8% $15

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Yamanashi

$144 12.1% 35.3% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Yamanashi

$169 14.2% 22.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Yamanashi

$108 9.1% 35.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Yamanashi

$75 6.3% 13.1% $11

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Yamanashi

$72 6.1% 63.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $523 in Yamanashi. 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 175% higher in Yamanashi, 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 $32.00 in Yamanashi. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $273 in Yamanashi – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇵 Yamanashi

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

17:38 5:38 PM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

34,494

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, 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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Yamanashi 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Yamanashi

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 Yamanashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 36%, 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 $1,789 in Yamanashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 76% less in Yamanashi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $580 in Yamanashi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yamanashi, where all-in costs run around $1,193, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Yamanashi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yamanashi – 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 Yamanashi. 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.