Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Hungary

Name: Hungary
Address: HU

For one person, living is cheaper in Hungary: $1,361 a month against $2,080 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Hungary
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Hungary Living Index

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,080

/mo nomad

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Germany and in Hungary

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Germany and in Hungary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,080 in Germany versus $1,361 in Hungary.

Germany $2,080
Hungary $1,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Germany versus $2,095 in Hungary.

Germany $3,130
Hungary $2,095

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,180 in Germany versus $2,830 in Hungary.

Germany $4,180
Hungary $2,830

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,337 to $2,681, compared to $1,015–$1,638 in Hungary. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Living in Germany is roughly 53% more expensive than in Hungary on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 €14.91

$12.28 Ft 4,049

35.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.8 €64.5

$53.8 Ft 17.8K

33.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 €10.89

$9.31 Ft 3,070

30.18%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.56

$2.57 Ft 848

54.09%

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

$3.36 €3.02

$1.76 Ft 581

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.60

$1.38 Ft 453

109.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 €4.55

$2.73 Ft 899

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €4.04

$2.67 Ft 880

68.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.21 Ft 397

4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.56 Ft 515

41.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.18

$2.29 Ft 754

54.59%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.49

$3.50 Ft 1,152

10.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 €12.79

$10.50 Ft 3,461

35.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 €10.69

$6.44 Ft 2,124

84.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.68 €18.57

$14.32 Ft 4,722

44.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.95

$2.01 Ft 663

63.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.12 Ft 698

-3.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.13 Ft 702

8.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.85

$3.36 Ft 1,109

27.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.38

$1.04 Ft 344

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.18 Ft 390

27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.50 Ft 493

9.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$0.59 Ft 193

72.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.69 €8.70

$7.74 Ft 2,553

25.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 €5.40

$5.11 Ft 1,683

17.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.01

$1.20 Ft 395

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.93 Ft 635

-19.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.45

$1.39 Ft 458

176.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.7 €62.6

$26.94 Ft 8,883

158.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 €4.79

$3.42 Ft 1,127

56.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 €2.52

$1.39 Ft 457

102.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.83 €34.88

$18.45 Ft 6,082

110.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$1.89 Ft 623

12.70%

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

$32.6K €29.2K

$27.7K Ft 9.1M

17.70%

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

$37.7K €33.9K

$34.3K Ft 11.3M

9.91%

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

$342 €307

$160 Ft 52.7K

114.15%

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

$24.87 €22.34

$25.56 Ft 8,428

-2.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.49 €43.56

$22.47 Ft 7,409

115.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 €35.41

$53.1 Ft 17.5K

-25.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 €24.68

$16.16 Ft 5,326

69.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 €13.16

$8.74 Ft 2,881

67.62%

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

$611 €548

$399 Ft 131.4K

53.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K €15.5K

$11.0K Ft 3.6M

57.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €80.0

$87.0 Ft 28.7K

2.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.07 €37.79

$35.59 Ft 11.7K

18.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €88.3

$93.8 Ft 30.9K

4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$97.2 Ft 32.1K

34.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 €839

$598 Ft 197.1K

56.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 €645

$466 Ft 153.6K

54.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,530

$1,040 Ft 342.8K

63.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,162

$809 Ft 266.7K

59.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,944 €5,339

$3,668 Ft 1.2M

62.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,958 €3,555

$2,683 Ft 884.7K

47.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,290 €2,955

$1,290 Ft 425.2K

155.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

7.15

-44.62%

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

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hungary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Germany

$718 34.6%

Hungary

$466 34.2% 35.2% $253

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Germany

$415 20%

Hungary

$208 15.3% 50% $208

Groceries & Markets

Germany

$335 16.1%

Hungary

$244 17.9% 27.1% $91

Eating Out

Germany

$276 13.3%

Hungary

$189 13.9% 31.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Germany

$162 7.8%

Hungary

$141 10.4% 12.9% $21

Getting Around

Germany

$104 5%

Hungary

$43 3.2% 59% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Germany

$69 3.3%

Hungary

$71 5.2% 2.6% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $812 in Germany, $511 in Hungary. Capital cities: $1,407 in Berlin vs $836 in Budapest.

National salary averages: $3,107 in Germany, $1,184 in Hungary. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 37% more in Germany.

Public transport is 162% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are about 2.6 times higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Germany

🇭🇺 Hungary

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

Same time as Germany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,358,845

9,599,744

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Germany Hungary 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Germany
Hungary

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

Germany vs Hungary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,080 per month in Germany and $1,361 in Hungary, Hungary comes out about 35% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Hungary: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $812 in Germany and $511 in Hungary. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Hungary, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Germany it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Hungary wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.