Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,634 in Burlington, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Burlington
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Burlington Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Burlington

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,634

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burlington and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Burlington and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Burlington vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Burlington $2,634
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,790 per month in Burlington vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Burlington $3,790
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,946 per month in Burlington vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Burlington $4,946
Budapest $3,429

Burlington costs about 63% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Burlington and Budapest sit above the global median – Burlington by 95%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.10 CA$29.82

$13.94 Ft 4,503

51.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$101

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 CA$15.13

$10.19 Ft 3,291

5.00%

Cappuccino

$3.40 CA$4.81

$3.26 Ft 1,055

4.29%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.14 Ft 690

-7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.16

$1.78 Ft 577

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 CA$7.81

$3.71 Ft 1,198

48.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 CA$8.71

$3.77 Ft 1,217

63.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.15 Ft 371

128.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$1.79 Ft 578

55.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.24

$2.49 Ft 804

49.00%

Eggs

$3.51 CA$4.97

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 CA$14.05

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-10.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 CA$14.75

$6.62 Ft 2,139

57.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 CA$20.10

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CA$5.03

$1.83 Ft 591

94.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.13

$2.05 Ft 661

-26.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.84

$2.37 Ft 765

14.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.99

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-9.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.99 Ft 320

93.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 CA$2.61

$1.00 Ft 322

84.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 CA$2.89

$1.58 Ft 511

29.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$0.67 Ft 216

119.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.04 CA$18.44

$7.96 Ft 2,572

63.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.94

$6.22 Ft 2,009

69.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$1.27 Ft 411

105.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 CA$4.02

$2.03 Ft 654

40.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$1.52 Ft 490

67.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 CA$138

$28.02 Ft 9,053

247.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 CA$7.01

$3.31 Ft 1,070

49.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.37 Ft 442

74.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.21 CA$59.7

$19.83 Ft 6,406

112.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.82 Ft 589

-36.81%

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

$27.2K CA$38.5K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-8.63%

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

$20.2K CA$28.5K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-40.36%

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

$143 CA$202

$171 Ft 55.3K

-16.63%

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

$44.20 CA$62.5

$23.51 Ft 7,596

88.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 CA$94.3

$23.29 Ft 7,526

186.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 CA$72.5

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-24.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 CA$41.65

$18.89 Ft 6,104

55.96%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 CA$22.51

$9.30 Ft 3,004

71.29%

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

$1,151 CA$1,628

$533 Ft 172.3K

115.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K CA$27.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

14.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 CA$96.1

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-31.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 CA$90.1

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

46.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 CA$137

$110 Ft 35.7K

-12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 CA$137

$119 Ft 38.4K

-18.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 CA$2,286

$830 Ft 268.3K

94.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 CA$1,969

$622 Ft 200.9K

123.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 CA$3,616

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

60.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 CA$3,019

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

82.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,013 CA$7,087

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-14.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,029 CA$5,696

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

3.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,161 CA$4,468

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

91.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

6.45

-29.92%

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

Last update for Burlington: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burlington

$1.4K 52.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 55.3% $771

Groceries & Markets

Burlington

$338 12.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 23.7% $80

Eating Out

Burlington

$296 11.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 24.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington

$254 9.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 14.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington

$147 5.6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 14.3% $21

Getting Around

Burlington

$124 4.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 64.4% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington

$83 3.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 3.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,617 in Burlington versus $830 in Budapest. 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 91% higher in Burlington, 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 $71.0 in Burlington versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burlington

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

00:09 12:09 AM

6 h ahead of Burlington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,314

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Burlington Budapest 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Burlington
Budapest

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

Burlington vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burlington is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,952 per month in Burlington and $2,428 in Budapest. 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 247% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,151 per month in Burlington and $533 in Budapest. 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 $1,619, than in Burlington at $2,634. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burlington 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, Burlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.