Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,312 per month in Caracas vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Caracas $1,312
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,236 per month in Caracas vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Caracas $2,236
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,160 per month in Caracas vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Caracas $3,160
Budapest $3,489

Caracas is about 19% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Caracas sits 2% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 VES 9,271

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-24.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 VES 59.5K

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

12.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 VES 9,589

$9.96 Ft 3,244

10.34%

Cappuccino

$3.73 VES 3,258

$3.38 Ft 1,102

10.36%

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

$1.54 VES 1,346

$2.13 Ft 693

-27.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 VES 1,119

$1.87 Ft 609

-31.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 VES 1,792

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-45.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 VES 2,540

$3.57 Ft 1,163

-18.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 VES 2,407

$1.13 Ft 369

144.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 VES 2,025

$1.84 Ft 600

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 VES 1,651

$2.39 Ft 777

-20.92%

Eggs

$4.82 VES 4,210

$3.83 Ft 1,246

25.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 VES 8,879

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-10.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 VES 8,241

$6.74 Ft 2,194

40.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 VES 10.0K

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-21.65%

Apples (1kg)

$7.23 VES 6,307

$1.84 Ft 598

292.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 VES 1,709

$2.01 Ft 654

-2.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 VES 1,860

$2.36 Ft 767

-9.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 VES 2,065

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-37.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 VES 1,951

$0.96 Ft 314

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 VES 1,952

$1.03 Ft 335

117.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 VES 1,408

$1.56 Ft 509

3.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 VES 2,099

$0.66 Ft 216

265.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 VES 3,985

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-42.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 VES 10.5K

$6.01 Ft 1,956

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 VES 1,193

$1.30 Ft 422

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 VES 1,891

$2.08 Ft 677

4.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 VES 448

$1.50 Ft 490

-66.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.63 VES 25.8K

$27.61 Ft 8,991

7.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 VES 4,261

$3.30 Ft 1,075

47.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 VES 2,340

$1.30 Ft 424

106.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.17 VES 13.2K

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-23.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 VES 752

$1.81 Ft 591

-52.49%

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

$25.1K VES 21.9M

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-14.26%

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

$38.6K VES 33.7M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

13.28%

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

$22.07 VES 19.3K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-87.01%

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

$11.81 VES 10.3K

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-50.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.64 VES 33.7K

$23.42 Ft 7,628

64.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 VES 58.3K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

0.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 VES 15.0K

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-10.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 VES 5,652

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-31.93%

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

$159 VES 139.1K

$537 Ft 174.8K

-70.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,138 VES 5.4M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-63.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 VES 67.9K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-23.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 VES 44.1K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

17.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 VES 118.9K

$113 Ft 36.7K

20.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 VES 118.9K

$119 Ft 38.7K

14.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 VES 539.7K

$805 Ft 262.2K

-23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 VES 364.4K

$629 Ft 204.9K

-33.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 VES 964.6K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-28.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 VES 773.6K

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-24.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,458 VES 1.3M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-74.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$690 VES 602.3K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-82.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$304 VES 265.0K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-81.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

242.15%

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

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caracas

$418 31.4%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 50.6% $212

Groceries & Markets

Caracas

$340 25.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 24.2% $82

Eating Out

Caracas

$190 14.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 17.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Caracas

$180 13.6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 6.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Caracas

$80 6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 6.9% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caracas

$73 5.5%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 200% $145

Getting Around

Caracas

$50 3.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 13.1% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Caracas versus $805 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 435% 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 $68.0 in Caracas versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Caracas

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

05:43 5:43 AM

6 h ahead of Caracas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,274,000 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.15 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 873 VES (1,000 VES = 1.15 USD). 1 EUR = 979 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Caracas Budapest 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Caracas
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

Caracas vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,968 per month in Caracas and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 7% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $159 per month in Caracas and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,312, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caracas – 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 Caracas. 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.