Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Zalaegerszeg

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalaegerszeg: $1,078 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Zalaegerszeg
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Zalaegerszeg Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Zalaegerszeg

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,078

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Zalaegerszeg

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $1,078 in Zalaegerszeg, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Zalaegerszeg $1,078

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $1,621 in Zalaegerszeg, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Zalaegerszeg $1,621

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $2,164 in Zalaegerszeg, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Zalaegerszeg $2,164

Budapest costs about 52% more than Zalaegerszeg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Zalaegerszeg is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,526

$13.57 Ft 4,448

1.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.1K

$61.7 Ft 20.2K

-0.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,329

$9.22 Ft 3,022

10.20%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,056

$2.82 Ft 924

14.18%

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

$2.06 Ft 676

$2.00 Ft 654

3.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 601

$1.27 Ft 418

44.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,181

$2.02 Ft 663

78.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,201

$2.07 Ft 677

76.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 390

$1.18 Ft 388

0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 613

$1.40 Ft 458

33.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 776

$2.35 Ft 771

0.85%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,298

$3.43 Ft 1,125

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,659

$10.93 Ft 3,582

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,215

$5.79 Ft 1,898

16.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,704

$12.49 Ft 4,094

14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 592

$1.86 Ft 608

-2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 691

$2.10 Ft 687

0.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 765

$1.97 Ft 645

18.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,247

$3.88 Ft 1,271

-2.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 325

$1.04 Ft 341

-4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 322

$1.02 Ft 335

-3.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 509

$1.34 Ft 439

15.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 228

$0.58 Ft 191

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,554

$8.12 Ft 2,662

-4.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,983

$6.16 Ft 2,019

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 419

$1.07 Ft 352

19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 668

$2.10 Ft 687

-2.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 508

$1.11 Ft 364

39.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,943

$18.02 Ft 5,905

51.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,081

$3.26 Ft 1,069

1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 430

$1.19 Ft 392

10.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,640

$20.17 Ft 6,612

0.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 596

$1.85 Ft 608

-1.62%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.4M

$28.4K Ft 9.3M

1.17%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.8M

$33.8K Ft 11.1M

-2.27%

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

$172 Ft 56.4K

$146 Ft 47.9K

17.87%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,851

$23.29 Ft 7,633

2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,641

$22.99 Ft 7,536

1.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.5K

$39.71 Ft 13.0K

72.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,199

$36.90 Ft 12.1K

-48.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,337

$7.62 Ft 2,498

33.60%

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

$600 Ft 196.8K

$211 Ft 69.2K

184.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$16.3K Ft 5.3M

3.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.5K

$30.58 Ft 10.0K

223.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

$24.07 Ft 7,889

79.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.0K

$50.8 Ft 16.6K

122.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.4K

$54.8 Ft 18.0K

113.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 274.1K

$339 Ft 111.3K

146.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 209.7K

$293 Ft 96.0K

118.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 523.9K

$450 Ft 147.5K

255.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 395.0K

$307 Ft 100.7K

292.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.8M

$1,857 Ft 608.6K

202.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.2M

$1,510 Ft 494.9K

151.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 547.9K

$771 Ft 252.7K

116.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Zalaegerszeg

$293 27.2% 54.2% $347

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Zalaegerszeg

$237 22% 8.4% $22

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Zalaegerszeg

$197 18.3% 10.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Zalaegerszeg

$192 17.8% 12.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Zalaegerszeg

$72 6.7% 57% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Zalaegerszeg

$55 5.1% 38.2% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Zalaegerszeg

$32 2.9% 26.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $339 in Zalaegerszeg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $62 in Zalaegerszeg. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $237 in Zalaegerszeg – so Zalaegerszeg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇭🇺 Zalaegerszeg

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

Same time as Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

55,152

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Budapest vs Zalaegerszeg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $1,617 in Zalaegerszeg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zalaegerszeg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Zalaegerszeg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,638 in Budapest and $1,078 in Zalaegerszeg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Zalaegerszeg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Zalaegerszeg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.