Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Zaragoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
Learn more

Zaragoza Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Zaragoza

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $635 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Zaragoza $635

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,039 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Zaragoza $1,039

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,443 in Zaragoza, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Zaragoza $1,443

Budapest costs about 155% more than Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Zaragoza is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.73 $6.73

107.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$30.58 $30.58

100.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.19 $7.19

41.72%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.46 $1.46

123.29%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.13 $1.13

89.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.84 $0.84

111.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.21 $1.21

206.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.13 $2.13

77.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.77 $1.77

-35.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.30 $2.30

-22.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.95 $0.95

162.11%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.49 $2.49

56.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.64 $7.64

45.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.96 $3.96

67.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$5.46 $5.46

169.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$4.03 $4.03

-54.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.44 $1.44

42.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.66 $2.66

-10.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.17 $2.17

79.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.99 $2.99

-66.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.86 $1.86

-46.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.95 $0.95

66.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.72 $0.72

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.80 $3.80

109.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.04 $8.04

-22.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.55 $1.55

-18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.31 $2.31

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.53 $1.53

-0.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$4.96 $4.96

-33.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$3.03 $3.03

-54.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$20.38 $20.38

-2.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.12 $1.12

62.50%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$25.0K $25.0K

19.07%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.8K $24.8K

36.25%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$44.91 $44.91

281.03%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$21.66 $21.66

8.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$35.58 $35.58

-34.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$35.04 $35.04

92.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.05 $5.05

84.16%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$153 $153

249.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,701 $4,701

256.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$68.1 $68.1

46.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$46.09 $46.09

-5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$111 $111

-0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$69.1 $69.1

72.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.5

-24.12%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Zaragoza

$217 34.3% 15.7% $41

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Zaragoza

$111 17.5% 50.2% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Zaragoza

$102 16.1% 53.1% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 20.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 47.6% $41

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Zaragoza

$26 * 4.1% 40.6% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $31.00 in Zaragoza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $217 – making Zaragoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

00:01 12:01 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

11,749

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Zaragoza 10,220 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Zaragoza

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 155%, 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 $952 in Zaragoza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 19% 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 Zaragoza, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Zaragoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaragoza – 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 Zaragoza. 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.