Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $1,096 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,096

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,096 per month in Erbil vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Erbil $1,096
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,634 per month in Erbil vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Erbil $1,634
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,173 per month in Erbil vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Erbil $2,173
Budapest $3,489

Erbil is about 32% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Erbil sits 18% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 IQD 11.7K

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-44.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.93 IQD 64.9K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-28.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 IQD 12.9K

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-14.16%

Cappuccino

$3.92 IQD 5,918

$3.38 Ft 1,100

15.98%

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

$0.98 IQD 1,476

$2.13 Ft 692

-53.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 IQD 635

$1.87 Ft 608

-77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 IQD 9,213

$3.75 Ft 1,221

62.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 IQD 7,074

$3.57 Ft 1,162

31.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 IQD 1,866

$1.13 Ft 368

8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 IQD 1,244

$1.84 Ft 599

-55.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 IQD 2,626

$2.39 Ft 777

-27.20%

Eggs

$1.80 IQD 2,716

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-53.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 IQD 12.1K

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,488

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-26.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-0.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,642

$1.84 Ft 597

-40.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,679

$2.01 Ft 653

-44.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,860

$2.36 Ft 767

-47.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 1,151

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-79.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,104

$0.96 Ft 313

-23.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,100

$1.03 Ft 334

-29.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 IQD 1,050

$1.56 Ft 509

-55.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.66 Ft 216

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 IQD 3,683

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-69.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 IQD 18.8K

$6.01 Ft 1,954

106.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,449

$1.30 Ft 421

24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 3,270

$2.08 Ft 676

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 IQD 896

$1.50 Ft 489

-60.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.79 IQD 64.7K

$27.61 Ft 8,982

54.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 IQD 2,934

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-41.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 IQD 2,686

$1.30 Ft 424

36.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,572

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-67.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 IQD 1,029

$1.81 Ft 591

-62.43%

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

$17.7K IQD 26.7M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-39.81%

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

$20.3K IQD 30.6M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-40.60%

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

$131 IQD 197.2K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-23.20%

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

$13.79 IQD 20.8K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-42.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 IQD 41.7K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 IQD 98.7K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-1.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.26 IQD 21.6K

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-25.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 IQD 17.2K

$9.52 Ft 3,098

19.22%

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

$326 IQD 493.1K

$537 Ft 174.6K

-39.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,186 IQD 4.8M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-80.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-69.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 IQD 67.2K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

3.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-39.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.0 IQD 104.3K

$119 Ft 38.6K

-41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 IQD 700.1K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 IQD 442.5K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-53.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 IQD 1.1M

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-53.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 IQD 662.8K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-62.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,110 IQD 1.7M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-80.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$645 IQD 975.2K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-83.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 IQD 891.2K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-63.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

6.43

-60.65%

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

Last update for Erbil: 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

Erbil

$293 27%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 115% $336

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$199 18.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 29.5% $59

Eating Out

Erbil

$180 16.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 24.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$172 15.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 26.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$96 8.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 76% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$88 8.1%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 3.1% $2.8

Getting Around

Erbil

$56 5.2%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 22.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Erbil 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 176% 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 $43.00 in Erbil versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $258 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

1 h behind Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 IQD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Erbil Budapest 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
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

Erbil vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,644 per month in Erbil 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 Erbil, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Erbil. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $326 per month in Erbil 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 Erbil, where all-in costs run around $1,096, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Erbil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Erbil – 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 Erbil. 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.