Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ely, Cambridgeshire and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,350 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Ely, Cambridgeshire
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Ely, Cambridgeshire Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,350

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,350 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $2,350
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,545 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $3,545
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,740 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $4,740
Budapest $3,429

Ely, Cambridgeshire costs about 45% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ely, Cambridgeshire and Budapest sit above the global median – Ely, Cambridgeshire by 74%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.60 £17.70

$13.94 Ft 4,503

69.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 £70.5

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

53.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 £9.93

$10.19 Ft 3,291

29.83%

Cappuccino

$5.04 £3.78

$3.26 Ft 1,055

54.60%

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

$2.45 £1.84

$2.14 Ft 690

14.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.32

$1.78 Ft 577

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 £3.86

$3.71 Ft 1,198

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.48

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 £0.93

$1.15 Ft 371

6.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.79 Ft 578

-8.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 £1.99

$2.49 Ft 804

6.83%

Eggs

$3.51 £2.64

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 £7.95

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 £8.35

$6.62 Ft 2,139

68.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 £12.73

$14.69 Ft 4,745

15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 £2.99

$1.83 Ft 591

118.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 £0.98

$2.05 Ft 661

-36.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 £1.93

$2.37 Ft 765

8.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 £3.17

$3.90 Ft 1,260

8.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.21

$0.99 Ft 320

62.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 £1.22

$1.00 Ft 322

62.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 £0.86

$1.58 Ft 511

-27.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.11

$0.67 Ft 216

120.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.82 £15.62

$7.96 Ft 2,572

161.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 £8.01

$6.22 Ft 2,009

71.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.63

$1.27 Ft 411

70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 £2.07

$2.03 Ft 654

35.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.70 £4.27

$1.52 Ft 490

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 £42.25

$28.02 Ft 9,053

100.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 £3.14

$3.31 Ft 1,070

26.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.78

$1.37 Ft 442

72.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$1.82 Ft 589

17.58%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

35.31%

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

$41.7K £31.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

23.26%

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

$274 £205

$171 Ft 55.3K

59.98%

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

$16.82 £12.62

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-28.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.97 £24.73

$23.29 Ft 7,526

41.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.38 £32.54

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-35.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 £11.69

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-17.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 £11.97

$9.30 Ft 3,004

71.61%

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

$1,716 £1,288

$533 Ft 172.3K

221.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K £11.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-12.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 £71.7

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-4.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 £41.57

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

27.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 £92.6

$110 Ft 35.7K

11.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £78.0

$119 Ft 38.4K

-12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 £848

$830 Ft 268.3K

36.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 £772

$622 Ft 200.9K

65.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 £1,396

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

16.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 £1,315

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

49.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,848 £4,387

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

0.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,049 £3,788

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

29.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,284 £2,464

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

98.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.62

6.45

-28.37%

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

Last update for Ely, Cambridgeshire: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$1K 43.8%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 39.5% $407

Eating Out

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$338 14.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 34.1% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$324 13.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 32.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$319 13.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 19.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$170 7.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 1.5% $2.6

Getting Around

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$95 4.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 53.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$75 3.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 14.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Ely, Cambridgeshire 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 99% higher in Ely, Cambridgeshire, 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 Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

05:39 5:39 AM

1 h ahead of Ely, Cambridgeshire

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,574

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

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Ely, Cambridgeshire Budapest 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ely, Cambridgeshire
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

Ely, Cambridgeshire vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ely, Cambridgeshire is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,525 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire 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 Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 101% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,716 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Ely, Cambridgeshire at $2,350. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ely, Cambridgeshire it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ely, Cambridgeshire makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.