Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaves and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaves: $1,064 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Chaves
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Chaves Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Chaves

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,064

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,064 per month in Chaves vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Chaves $1,064
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Chaves vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Chaves $1,607
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,150 per month in Chaves vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Chaves $2,150
Budapest $3,483

Chaves is about 35% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 €7.10

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-43.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.32 €19.86

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-63.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 €6.92

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-24.98%

Cappuccino

$1.54 €1.37

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-55.49%

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

$1.49 €1.33

$2.07 Ft 669

-28.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.77 Ft 572

-67.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 €2.03

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-38.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.80 Ft 1,229

-28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.16 Ft 374

-12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.85 Ft 598

-38.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$2.40 Ft 776

-52.92%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.71

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 €5.54

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-45.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 €5.81

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 €9.12

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-29.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.88 Ft 607

-39.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.14 Ft 693

-46.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 €0.98

$2.30 Ft 744

-51.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.97

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-72.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.02 Ft 329

98.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.99 Ft 320

14.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.58 Ft 510

-10.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$0.70 Ft 225

12.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-25.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.03 €3.58

$6.18 Ft 1,997

-34.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.24 Ft 401

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.06 Ft 666

-44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 €0.77

$1.59 Ft 513

-45.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.67 €24.61

$27.52 Ft 8,893

0.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.53

$3.43 Ft 1,110

15.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 €0.61

$1.33 Ft 431

-48.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 €17.60

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-3.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.93 Ft 624

1.04%

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

$34.1K €30.4K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

17.12%

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

$37.6K €33.4K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

8.27%

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

$134 €119

$175 Ft 56.4K

-23.47%

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

$17.81 €15.84

$23.62 Ft 7,631

-24.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.69 €28.19

$23.60 Ft 7,625

34.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.25 €22.46

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-63.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.49 €4.88

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-71.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 €6.35

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-30.75%

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

$223 €199

$535 Ft 172.9K

-58.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,620 €3,220

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-78.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 €63.9

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-28.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.56 €20.07

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-47.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 €56.1

$112 Ft 36.1K

-43.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 €80.3

$119 Ft 38.4K

-24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 €425

$832 Ft 268.8K

-42.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 €336

$629 Ft 203.3K

-39.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 €846

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-40.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 €655

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-38.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,870 €1,663

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-67.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,472 €1,310

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-62.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,015 €903

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

-40.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-53.49%

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

Last update for Chaves: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chaves

$378 35.5%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 66.5% $251

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chaves

$183 17.2%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 21.1% $39

Groceries & Markets

Chaves

$182 17.2%

Budapest

$262 16% 43.5% $79

Eating Out

Chaves

$131 12.3%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 73% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Chaves

$111 10.5%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 50.9% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chaves

$40 3.7%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 126% $50

Getting Around

Chaves

$39 3.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 14.2% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Chaves versus $832 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 69% 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 $22.00 in Chaves versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $262 – making Chaves the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Chaves

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

12:11 12:11 PM

1 h ahead of Chaves

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,592

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Chaves Budapest 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chaves
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

Chaves vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,596 per month in Chaves and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1% less in Chaves. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $223 per month in Chaves and $535 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chaves, where all-in costs run around $1,064, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Chaves it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chaves – 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 Chaves. 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.