Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derry and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $1,739 in Derry, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Derry
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,739
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,739 per month in Derry vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Derry $1,739
  • Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,589 per month in Derry vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Derry $2,589
  • Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,439 per month in Derry vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Derry $3,439
  • Budapest $3,429

Derry costs about 7% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Derry and Budapest sit above the global median – Derry by 29%, Budapest by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Derry
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.87 £14.16
$13.94 Ft 4,503
35.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.9 £55.5
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
20.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.38 £7.79
$10.19 Ft 3,291
1.86%
Cappuccino
$3.88 £2.91
$3.26 Ft 1,055
19.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 £1.60
$2.14 Ft 690
-0.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 £1.25
$1.78 Ft 577
-6.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.41 £4.06
$3.71 Ft 1,198
45.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.88 £4.41
$3.77 Ft 1,217
55.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Derry
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 £1.28
$1.15 Ft 371
48.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.79 Ft 578
-25.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 £1.51
$2.49 Ft 804
-19.28%
Eggs
$3.30 £2.47
$3.90 Ft 1,261
-15.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.44 £5.58
$11.10 Ft 3,587
-32.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.85 £6.64
$6.62 Ft 2,139
33.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.69 £12.52
$14.69 Ft 4,745
13.61%
Apples (1kg)
$2.69 £2.02
$1.83 Ft 591
46.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 £0.96
$2.05 Ft 661
-37.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 £2.08
$2.37 Ft 765
17.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.31 £2.48
$3.90 Ft 1,260
-15.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 £0.96
$0.99 Ft 320
29.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.00 Ft 322
35.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 £0.70
$1.58 Ft 511
-41.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 £1.14
$0.67 Ft 216
126.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$21.22 £15.92
$7.96 Ft 2,572
166.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.54 £7.91
$6.22 Ft 2,009
69.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.44 £1.83
$1.27 Ft 411
92.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 £2.56
$2.03 Ft 654
67.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Derry
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.67 £2.75
$1.52 Ft 490
141.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.8 £71.1
$28.02 Ft 9,053
238.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 £4.04
$3.31 Ft 1,070
62.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 £0.85
$1.37 Ft 442
-16.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.36 £25.77
$19.83 Ft 6,406
73.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.83 £1.37
$1.82 Ft 589
0.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.7K
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
28.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.0K £30.0K
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
18.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derry
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$132 £98.9
$171 Ft 55.3K
-22.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.52 £11.64
$23.51 Ft 7,596
-33.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.42 £31.82
$23.29 Ft 7,526
82.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Derry
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.68 £26.02
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
-48.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.42 £10.07
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-28.96%
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 £7.82
$9.30 Ft 3,004
12.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Derry
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$932 £699
$533 Ft 172.3K
74.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.1K £16.6K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
31.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Derry
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.0 £72.8
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
-2.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.08 £29.32
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
-10.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 £77.2
$110 Ft 35.7K
-6.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$63.8 £47.83
$119 Ft 38.4K
-46.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Derry
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$821 £616
$830 Ft 268.3K
-1.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$669 £502
$622 Ft 200.9K
7.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 £958
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
-19.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$956 £717
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
-18.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,964 £3,724
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-14.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,785 £2,839
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-2.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Derry
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.76
6.45
-26.20%

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

Last update for Derry: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Derry
$669
Budapest
$622 7% $47
Groceries & Markets
Derry
$286
Budapest
$258 9.7% $28
Eating Out
Derry
$283
Budapest
$223 21.1% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derry
$190
Budapest
$218 14.8% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Derry
$136
Budapest
$168 23% $31
Getting Around
Derry
$121
Budapest
$44 63.3% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Derry
$56
Budapest
$86 55.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $821 in Derry 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Derry versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Derry
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
19:02 7:02 PM
20:02 8:02 PM
1 h ahead of Derry
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
85,016
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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Derry Budapest 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Derry
  • 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
Derry vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Derry?
Yes – Derry is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,609 per month in Derry and $2,428 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 238% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $932 per month in Derry and $533 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 Derry or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Derry at $1,739. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Derry it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Derry 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, Derry 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, Derry makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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