Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Delhi $520
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Delhi $858
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Budapest $3,489

Delhi is about 68% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Delhi sits 61% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-73.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-65.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-62.45%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-31.07%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$2.13 Ft 692

-82.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$1.87 Ft 608

-89.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-46.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-10.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.13 Ft 368

-39.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.84 Ft 599

-71.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$2.39 Ft 777

-65.27%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-72.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-60.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$1.84 Ft 597

8.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$2.01 Ft 653

-64.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$2.36 Ft 767

-56.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-86.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$0.96 Ft 313

-71.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$1.03 Ft 334

-64.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$1.56 Ft 509

-72.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.66 Ft 216

-53.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-38.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$6.01 Ft 1,954

38.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$1.30 Ft 421

26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$2.08 Ft 676

29.81%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$1.50 Ft 489

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-44.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-68.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$1.30 Ft 424

-79.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-92.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$1.81 Ft 591

-41.99%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-64.32%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-46.15%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$170 Ft 55.3K

-74.89%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-83.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-71.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-70.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-57.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-46.64%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$537 Ft 174.6K

-81.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-86.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$101 Ft 33.0K

-76.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-33.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$113 Ft 36.7K

-52.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$119 Ft 38.6K

-62.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-67.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-75.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-52.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-65.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-55.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-74.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-63.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

6.43

29.55%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 308% $475

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 139% $150

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 157% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 151% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 307% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 188% $56

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 123% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi 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.

Salaries run about 178% 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 $21.00 in Delhi versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $258 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

08:34 8:34 AM

3 h 30 min behind Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 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 INR in detail →

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Delhi Budapest 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Delhi vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 212%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi 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 Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 81% less in Delhi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $100 per month in Delhi and $537 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 Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Delhi – 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 Delhi. 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.