Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,738 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,738

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burnaby 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 Burnaby and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,738 per month in Burnaby vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Burnaby $2,738
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,928 per month in Burnaby vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Burnaby $3,928
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $5,117 per month in Burnaby vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Burnaby $5,117
Budapest $3,429

Burnaby costs about 69% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Burnaby and Budapest sit above the global median – Burnaby by 103%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.18 CA$29.94

$13.94 Ft 4,503

51.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.7 CA$118

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

36.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CA$12.64

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-12.27%

Cappuccino

$4.66 CA$6.59

$3.26 Ft 1,055

42.94%

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

$2.30 CA$3.26

$2.14 Ft 690

7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.38

$1.78 Ft 577

-5.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.45 CA$11.95

$3.71 Ft 1,198

127.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 CA$8.21

$3.77 Ft 1,217

54.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CA$3.25

$1.15 Ft 371

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$1.79 Ft 578

51.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.99

$2.49 Ft 804

41.77%

Eggs

$3.08 CA$4.36

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 CA$19.08

$11.10 Ft 3,587

21.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 CA$19.08

$6.62 Ft 2,139

103.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.16 CA$35.57

$14.69 Ft 4,745

71.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.30

$1.83 Ft 591

143.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.84

$2.05 Ft 661

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 CA$6.38

$2.37 Ft 765

90.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CA$6.54

$3.90 Ft 1,260

18.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$0.99 Ft 320

183.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.90

$1.00 Ft 322

247.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 CA$3.79

$1.58 Ft 511

69.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.99

$0.67 Ft 216

214.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.99 CA$19.78

$7.96 Ft 2,572

75.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 CA$19.03

$6.22 Ft 2,009

116.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.94

$1.27 Ft 411

63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$2.03 Ft 654

12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$1.52 Ft 490

52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.5 CA$112

$28.02 Ft 9,053

183.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$4.05

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-13.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.13

$1.37 Ft 442

9.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.37 CA$37.27

$19.83 Ft 6,406

32.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.84

$1.82 Ft 589

-28.57%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-7.42%

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

$18.7K CA$26.4K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-44.81%

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

$120 CA$170

$171 Ft 55.3K

-29.65%

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

$43.55 CA$61.6

$23.51 Ft 7,596

85.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 CA$75.1

$23.29 Ft 7,526

127.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.72 CA$42.01

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-55.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.33 CA$14.61

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-45.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CA$19.67

$9.30 Ft 3,004

49.57%

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

$634 CA$897

$533 Ft 172.3K

18.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-48.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 CA$73.0

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

18.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 CA$144

$110 Ft 35.7K

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 CA$109

$119 Ft 38.4K

-34.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 CA$2,302

$830 Ft 268.3K

96.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 CA$2,108

$622 Ft 200.9K

139.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 CA$3,469

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

53.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 CA$3,092

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

86.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,588 CA$9,313

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

12.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 CA$7,817

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

42.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,144 CA$4,445

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

90.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

6.45

-26.20%

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

Last update for Burnaby: 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

Burnaby

$1.5K 54.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 58.3% $869

Groceries & Markets

Burnaby

$425 15.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 39.3% $167

Eating Out

Burnaby

$322 11.8%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 30.8% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnaby

$217 7.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 0.4% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Burnaby

$127 4.6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 31.8% $40

Getting Around

Burnaby

$99 3.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 55.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Burnaby

$58 2.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 49.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Burnaby 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 90% higher in Burnaby, 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 $84.0 in Burnaby versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $425 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

22:26 10:26 PM

9 h ahead of Burnaby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

249,125

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 18, 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 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Burnaby Budapest 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Burnaby
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

Burnaby vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burnaby is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,108 per month in Burnaby 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 184% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Burnaby 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 Burnaby at $2,738. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burnaby 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, Burnaby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.