Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Zacatecas

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $738 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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 Zacatecas
Learn more

Zacatecas Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Zacatecas

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $738 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Zacatecas $738

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,170 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Zacatecas $1,170

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,602 in Zacatecas, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Zacatecas $1,602

Budapest costs about 119% more than Zacatecas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.12 MX$113

127.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$31.70 MX$586

93.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.50 MX$139

35.87%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.96 MX$54.7

10.14%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.21 MX$22.31

76.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.72 MX$13.31

147.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.86 MX$34.45

99.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$4.08 MX$75.4

-7.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.37 MX$25.41

-16.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.21 MX$40.91

-19.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.54 MX$28.52

61.69%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.29 MX$42.31

70.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.32 MX$135

51.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.12 MX$113

8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.25 MX$171

58.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.75 MX$32.31

4.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.66 MX$30.63

23.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.02 MX$37.30

17.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.46 MX$27.05

167.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.00 MX$36.98

-50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.76 MX$32.50

-43.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.52 MX$28.04

3.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.84 MX$15.60

-20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.29 MX$79.4

85.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$10.67 MX$197

-41.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.67 MX$30.90

-23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.38 MX$62.5

-39.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.53 MX$9.88

186.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$16.52 MX$305

69.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.21 MX$40.77

49.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.08 MX$19.91

26.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$12.28 MX$227

61.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.45 MX$26.79

25.52%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$21.1K MX$390.6K

40.98%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.5K MX$452.6K

38.06%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$23.16 MX$428

638.86%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$8.38 MX$155

180.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$25.17 MX$465

-7.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$25.02 MX$462

169.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$8.17 MX$151

131.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.39 MX$81.1

111.85%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$256 MX$4,736

108.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$3,234 MX$59.8K

418.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$45.26 MX$836

120.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$40.19 MX$743

8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$91.6 MX$1,692

20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$43.08 MX$796

176.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$242 MX$4,467

243.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$162 MX$2,994

283.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$383 MX$7,074

316.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$249 MX$4,606

369.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$571 MX$10.5K

581.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$407 MX$7,527

305.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

10.8

-40.28%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Zacatecas

$162 22% 73.9% $460

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Zacatecas

$228 30.9% 11.7% $30

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Zacatecas

$132 17.9% 40.7% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Zacatecas

$57 7.7% 74% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Zacatecas

$99 13.4% 40.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Zacatecas

$34 4.6% 60.8% $52

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Zacatecas

$26 3.6% 40.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $242 in Zacatecas. 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 305% 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 $32.00 in Zacatecas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $228 – making Zacatecas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🕒 Local time

09:20 9:20 AM

01:20 1:20 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

138,444

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Zacatecas 10,270 km ≈ 13 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 119%, 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 $1,107 in Zacatecas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 70% less in Zacatecas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $256 in Zacatecas. 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 Zacatecas, where all-in costs run around $738, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Zacatecas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zacatecas – 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 Zacatecas. 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.