Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,167 in Derby, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Derby
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,167
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,167 per month in Derby vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Derby $2,167
  • Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,327 per month in Derby vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Derby $3,327
  • Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,486 per month in Derby vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Derby $4,486
  • Budapest $3,489

Derby costs about 34% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Derby and Budapest sit above the global median – Derby by 62%, Budapest by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Derby
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.91 £20.33
$13.99 Ft 4,551
92.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$94.2 £71.2
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
56.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.43 £7.88
$9.96 Ft 3,241
4.72%
Cappuccino
$4.99 £3.77
$3.38 Ft 1,100
47.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 £1.98
$2.13 Ft 692
22.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 £1.48
$1.87 Ft 608
4.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.44 £4.87
$3.75 Ft 1,221
71.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.27 £5.49
$3.57 Ft 1,162
103.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Derby
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 £1.18
$1.13 Ft 368
37.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 £1.08
$1.84 Ft 599
-22.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.38 £1.79
$2.39 Ft 777
-0.42%
Eggs
$3.79 £2.87
$3.83 Ft 1,245
-1.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.33 £6.30
$11.33 Ft 3,686
-26.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.28 £6.26
$6.74 Ft 2,192
22.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.21 £17.54
$14.69 Ft 4,780
58.00%
Apples (1kg)
$5.35 £4.04
$1.84 Ft 597
190.76%
Banana (1kg)
$2.82 £2.13
$2.01 Ft 653
40.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.33
$2.36 Ft 767
30.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.66 £2.76
$3.77 Ft 1,226
-2.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 £1.11
$0.96 Ft 313
53.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 £1.21
$1.03 Ft 334
55.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.05 £0.79
$1.56 Ft 509
-32.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 £1.03
$0.66 Ft 216
106.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.53 £17.78
$7.96 Ft 2,591
195.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.47 £7.91
$6.01 Ft 1,954
74.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.13 £2.37
$1.30 Ft 421
140.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 £2.68
$2.08 Ft 676
70.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Derby
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 £2.20
$1.50 Ft 489
94.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.0 £68.0
$27.61 Ft 8,982
225.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.38 £3.31
$3.30 Ft 1,074
32.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 £1.25
$1.30 Ft 424
27.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.34 £24.44
$19.78 Ft 6,436
63.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 £1.52
$1.81 Ft 591
11.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.7K
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
29.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £30.0K
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
16.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derby
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$367 £277
$170 Ft 55.3K
115.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.46 £14.70
$23.98 Ft 7,802
-18.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.48 £30.59
$23.42 Ft 7,621
72.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Derby
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.27 £33.45
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
-33.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.00 £19.65
$19.18 Ft 6,239
35.56%
Cinema Ticket
$15.41 £11.64
$9.52 Ft 3,098
61.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Derby
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,808 £1,366
$537 Ft 174.6K
236.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K £15.4K
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
22.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Derby
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113 £85.7
$101 Ft 33.0K
11.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.6 £42.78
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
31.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 £63.8
$113 Ft 36.7K
-25.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.5 £74.5
$119 Ft 38.6K
-17.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Derby
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$804 £608
$805 Ft 262.0K
-0.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 £544
$629 Ft 204.7K
14.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 £1,191
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
1.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,345 £1,016
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
15.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,789 £4,375
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
3.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,100 £2,343
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
-21.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Derby
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,570 £2,698
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
119.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.88
6.43
-24.11%

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

Last update for Derby: 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
Derby
$720
Budapest
$629 12.6% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derby
$427
Budapest
$217 49.1% $210
Eating Out
Derby
$371
Budapest
$224 39.6% $147
Groceries & Markets
Derby
$337
Budapest
$258 23.5% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Derby
$159
Budapest
$169 6.5% $10
Getting Around
Derby
$114
Budapest
$43 62% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Derby
$75
Budapest
$85 13.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $804 in Derby 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 120% higher in Derby, 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 $94.0 in Derby versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Derby
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
07:15 7:15 AM
08:15 8:15 AM
1 h ahead of Derby
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
233,700
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Derby Budapest 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Derby
  • 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
Derby vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Derby?
Yes – Derby is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,250 per month in Derby and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 226% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,808 per month in Derby and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Derby or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Derby at $2,167. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Derby it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Derby or Budapest more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Derby or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Derby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Derby vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?