Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,287 in Carlton, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,287

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,287 per month in Carlton vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Carlton $2,287
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,321 per month in Carlton vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Carlton $3,321
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,355 per month in Carlton vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Carlton $4,355
Budapest $3,429

Carlton costs about 41% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Carlton and Budapest sit above the global median – Carlton by 69%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 A$25.48

$13.94 Ft 4,503

27.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 A$98.9

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

12.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 A$14.34

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-2.26%

Cappuccino

$2.92 A$4.21

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-10.43%

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

$2.63 A$3.78

$2.14 Ft 690

22.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.06

$1.78 Ft 577

19.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 A$9.73

$3.71 Ft 1,198

82.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 A$9.41

$3.77 Ft 1,217

73.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.90

$1.15 Ft 371

14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 A$2.95

$1.79 Ft 578

14.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.90

$2.49 Ft 804

-46.99%

Eggs

$3.20 A$4.60

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-17.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 A$14.79

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-7.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 A$14.38

$6.62 Ft 2,139

50.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 A$21.98

$14.69 Ft 4,745

4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$1.83 Ft 591

81.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.05

$2.05 Ft 661

37.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.60

$2.37 Ft 765

35.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 A$6.44

$3.90 Ft 1,260

14.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.99 Ft 320

148.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.19

$1.00 Ft 322

122.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 A$3.07

$1.58 Ft 511

34.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.29

$0.67 Ft 216

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.25 A$36.33

$7.96 Ft 2,572

217.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 A$15.28

$6.22 Ft 2,009

70.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.74 A$8.26

$1.27 Ft 411

351.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$2.03 Ft 654

152.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 A$4.38

$1.52 Ft 490

100.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 A$116

$28.02 Ft 9,053

188.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.36

$3.31 Ft 1,070

12.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 A$1.82

$1.37 Ft 442

-8.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.18 A$37.68

$19.83 Ft 6,406

32.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.82 Ft 589

-25.27%

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

$18.4K A$26.5K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-38.21%

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

$13.8K A$19.9K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-59.10%

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

$89.5 A$129

$171 Ft 55.3K

-47.68%

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

$27.31 A$39.31

$23.51 Ft 7,596

16.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.80 A$65.9

$23.29 Ft 7,526

96.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.60 A$45.47

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-53.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 A$24.92

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-8.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 A$18.64

$9.30 Ft 3,004

39.35%

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

$2,061 A$2,965

$533 Ft 172.3K

286.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-24.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 A$114

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-20.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.37 A$71.1

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

13.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 A$101

$110 Ft 35.7K

-36.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$119 Ft 38.4K

12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$2,001

$830 Ft 268.3K

67.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 A$1,732

$622 Ft 200.9K

93.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 A$3,093

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

34.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 A$2,631

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

56.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,647 A$8,126

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-3.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,209 A$7,496

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

33.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,717 A$8,227

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

246.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.45

-8.53%

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

Last update for Carlton: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlton

$1.2K 52.6%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 48.3% $582

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$338 14.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 23.8% $80

Eating Out

Carlton

$273 11.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 18.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$163 7.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 34% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 12% $18

Getting Around

Carlton

$103 4.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 57.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$58 2.5%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 49.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in Carlton 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 246% higher in Carlton, 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 $69.0 in Carlton 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

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

20:47 8:47 PM

9 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carlton Budapest 15,560 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
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

Carlton vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlton is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,431 per month in Carlton 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 189% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,061 per month in Carlton 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 Carlton at $2,287. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlton 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, Carlton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.