Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,344 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
Learn more

Daejeon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,344 per month in Daejeon vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Daejeon $1,344
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,104 per month in Daejeon vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Daejeon $2,104
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,865 per month in Daejeon vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Daejeon $2,865
Budapest $3,429

Daejeon is about 17% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Daejeon and Budapest sit above the global median – Daejeon by 0%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 ₩9,678

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-47.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 ₩48.9K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-39.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ₩7,412

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-45.34%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,784

$3.26 Ft 1,055

10.43%

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

$1.22 ₩1,622

$2.14 Ft 690

-42.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₩859

$1.78 Ft 577

-63.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-5.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₩4,917

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-1.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,900

$1.15 Ft 371

89.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ₩3,542

$1.79 Ft 578

48.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,514

$2.49 Ft 804

6.02%

Eggs

$2.55 ₩3,385

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 ₩14.5K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-1.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

24.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 ₩27.2K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 ₩14.8K

$1.83 Ft 591

507.65%

Banana (1kg)

$5.49 ₩7,300

$2.05 Ft 661

167.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,732

$2.37 Ft 765

145.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,072

$3.90 Ft 1,260

55.64%

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 ₩7,102

$0.99 Ft 320

439.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 ₩3,744

$1.00 Ft 322

182.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₩2,273

$1.58 Ft 511

8.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,510

$0.67 Ft 216

70.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,426

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-58.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 ₩25.1K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

203.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₩3,393

$1.27 Ft 411

100.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$2.03 Ft 654

74.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$1.52 Ft 490

-27.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-60.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₩4,398

$3.31 Ft 1,070

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

$1.37 Ft 442

-48.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩22.4K

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-15.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,638

$1.82 Ft 589

-32.42%

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

$28.5K ₩37.8M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-4.51%

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

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-29.79%

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

$172 ₩228.4K

$171 Ft 55.3K

0.40%

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

$42.96 ₩57.1K

$23.51 Ft 7,596

82.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ₩29.5K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 ₩44.0K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-50.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

21.61%

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

$304 ₩403.8K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-43.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

30.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 ₩85.8K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-35.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 ₩55.7K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-3.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩122.8K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-16.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.0K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-10.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩490.2K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-55.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₩391.3K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-52.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₩1.4M

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-35.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₩788.5K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-49.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,547 ₩7.4M

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-4.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,546 ₩6.0M

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

16.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 ₩3.1M

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

41.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

6.45

-43.41%

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$446 33.2%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 42.2% $188

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$294 21.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 111% $328

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$237 17.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 8% $19

Eating Out

Daejeon

$151 11.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 48.2% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 21.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$56 4.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 54.6% $30

Getting Around

Daejeon

$22 1.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 97.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Daejeon 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 42% higher in Daejeon, 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 Daejeon versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $446 in Daejeon vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

21:24 9:24 PM

7 h behind Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Daejeon Budapest 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Daejeon
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

Daejeon vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,016 per month in Daejeon 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 Daejeon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 153% less in Daejeon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $304 per month in Daejeon and $533 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 Daejeon, where all-in costs run around $1,344, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Daejeon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Daejeon – 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 Daejeon. 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.