Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dili and Budapest

For one person, living costs are similar in Dili and in Budapest: $1,574 and $1,621 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Dili
Learn more

Dili Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,574

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Dili vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Dili $1,574
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,466 per month in Dili vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Dili $2,466
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,359 per month in Dili vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Dili $3,359
Budapest $3,489

Dili is about 3% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dili and Budapest sit above the global median – Dili by 17%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 $5.13

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-63.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 $42.43

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-29.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 $7.91

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-20.58%

Cappuccino

$4.18 $4.18

$3.38 Ft 1,102

23.67%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$2.13 Ft 693

-23.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.87 Ft 609

47.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-31.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.57 Ft 1,163

24.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.13 Ft 369

109.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.84 Ft 600

36.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.39 Ft 777

-59.83%

Eggs

$2.68 $2.68

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-30.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-81.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$6.74 Ft 2,194

39.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$14.69 Ft 4,784

7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.84 Ft 598

78.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.01 Ft 654

-7.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.36 Ft 767

5.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-40.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.96 Ft 314

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.03 Ft 335

11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.56 Ft 509

-45.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.66 Ft 216

48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 $3.08

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-61.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 $11.95

$6.01 Ft 1,956

98.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.30 Ft 422

68.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.08 Ft 677

38.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$1.50 Ft 490

-84.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 $29.78

$27.61 Ft 8,991

7.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.30 Ft 1,075

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.30 Ft 424

175.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 $19.75

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-0.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.81 Ft 591

-20.44%

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

$18.0K $18.0K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-38.68%

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

$16.7K $16.7K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-50.97%

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

$152 $152

$170 Ft 55.3K

-10.70%

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

$27.49 $27.49

$23.98 Ft 7,809

14.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.46 $49.46

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-25.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 $6.17

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-35.19%

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

$1,477 $1,477

$537 Ft 174.8K

175.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-3.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 $61.0

$101 Ft 33.0K

-39.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 $30.46

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-29.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$113 Ft 36.7K

-29.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$119 Ft 38.7K

-49.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 $831

$805 Ft 262.2K

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 $759

$629 Ft 204.9K

20.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,739 $2,739

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

76.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 $1,504

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

28.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,656 $3,656

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

124.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

6.43

-16.49%

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

Last update for Dili: 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

Dili

$759 47.9%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 17.1% $130

Groceries & Markets

Dili

$275 17.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 6.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dili

$179 * 11.3%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 21.3% $38

Eating Out

Dili

$154 9.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 45.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Dili

$104 6.6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 62.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Dili

$62 3.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 38% $23

Getting Around

Dili

$52 3.3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 16.7% $8.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $831 in Dili 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 125% higher in Dili, 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 $42.00 in Dili versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $275 in Dili vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇱 Dili

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

10:14 10:14 AM

7 h behind Dili

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,323 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dili Budapest 11,950 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Dili
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

Dili 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 eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,361 per month in Dili 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 Dili, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Dili. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,477 per month in Dili and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dili, where all-in costs run around $1,574, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Dili it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dili – 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 Dili. 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.