Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castel and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,406 in Castel, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Castel

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,406

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,406 per month in Castel vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Castel $2,406
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,787 per month in Castel vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Castel $3,787
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,167 per month in Castel vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Castel $5,167
Budapest $3,489

Castel costs about 48% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Castel and Budapest sit above the global median – Castel by 80%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$39.85 GGP 30.16

$13.99 Ft 4,551

184.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 GGP 60.9

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

33.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

Cappuccino

$5.05 GGP 3.82

$3.38 Ft 1,100

49.41%

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

$3.23 GGP 2.45

$2.13 Ft 692

51.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 GGP 2.98

$1.87 Ft 608

110.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 GGP 3.27

$3.75 Ft 1,221

15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 GGP 4.94

$3.57 Ft 1,162

82.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 GGP 1.47

$1.13 Ft 368

72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 GGP 1.65

$1.81 Ft 591

20.44%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

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

$26.18 GGP 19.82

$23.98 Ft 7,802

9.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 GGP 50.9

$23.42 Ft 7,621

187.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 GGP 1,503

$805 Ft 262.0K

146.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 GGP 1,396

$629 Ft 204.7K

193.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,012 GGP 3,037

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

158.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,740 GGP 2,831

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

220.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Castel: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castel

–

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Groceries & Markets

Castel

–

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Eating Out

Castel

–

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castel

–

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Castel

–

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Castel

–

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Getting Around

Castel

–

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,986 in Castel 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Castel versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $19.00 in Castel vs $258 in Budapest – so Castel wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇬 Castel

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

09:01 9:01 AM

1 h ahead of Castel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Guernsey Pound GGP £

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 GGP = 1.32 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to GGP – Guernsey Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇬 Guernsey Pound (£)

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 GGP (1 GGP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 GGP (1 GGP = 1.18 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to GGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castel Budapest 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Castel
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

Castel vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Castel is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,609 per month in Castel 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 Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1224% cheaper in Castel – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Castel and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Castel at $2,406. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castel 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, Castel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.