Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Budapest

For one person, living costs are similar in Daegu and in Budapest: $1,569 and $1,619 a month, rent and utilities included.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,569 per month in Daegu vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Daegu $1,569
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Daegu vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Daegu $2,402
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,235 per month in Daegu vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Daegu $3,235
Budapest $3,429

Daegu is about 3% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Daegu and Budapest sit above the global median – Daegu by 16%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-33.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-39.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-44.36%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$3.26 Ft 1,055

21.78%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$2.14 Ft 690

-27.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$1.78 Ft 577

-49.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$3.71 Ft 1,198

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$3.77 Ft 1,217

43.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$1.15 Ft 371

106.96%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$1.79 Ft 578

150.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$2.49 Ft 804

6.83%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-30.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-7.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$6.62 Ft 2,139

12.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

41.32%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$1.83 Ft 591

260.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$2.05 Ft 661

31.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$2.37 Ft 765

141.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$3.90 Ft 1,260

52.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$0.99 Ft 320

167.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$1.00 Ft 322

106.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$1.58 Ft 511

175.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$0.67 Ft 216

104.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-63.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

139.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$1.27 Ft 411

68.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$2.03 Ft 654

22.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$1.52 Ft 490

-26.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$28.02 Ft 9,053

172.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-5.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$1.37 Ft 442

-55.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-59.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$1.82 Ft 589

-26.92%

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-4.33%

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

22.60%

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$171 Ft 55.3K

63.34%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$23.51 Ft 7,596

114.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

102.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-24.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-37.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

21.08%

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

$531 ₩706.4K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

66.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-43.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

15.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$119 Ft 38.4K

38.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-50.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-56.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-48.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

22.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

42.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

50.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

6.45

-21.40%

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

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 37.7% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 42.2% $159

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 127% $348

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 24.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 1.5% $2.5

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 49.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 17.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Daegu 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 50% higher in Daegu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Daegu versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $414 in Daegu vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

21:22 9:22 PM

7 h behind Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Daegu Budapest 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Daegu
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

Daegu vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,353 per month in Daegu 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 Daegu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 173% less in Daegu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $531 per month in Daegu and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Daegu, where all-in costs run around $1,569, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Daegu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Daegu – 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 Daegu. 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.