Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Hungary Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Hungary

Name: Hungary
Address: HU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,017 in Germany versus $1,123 in Hungary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,049 in Germany versus $1,707 in Hungary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,081 in Germany versus $2,291 in Hungary.

Living in Germany is roughly 80% more expensive than Hungary on average.

Germany (51% above) and Hungary (16% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,333 to $2,865, compared to $884–$1,450 in Hungary. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.12 €14.73

$11.49 Ft 3,505

49.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 €65.0

$52.0 Ft 15.9K

45.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 €10.12

$8.59 Ft 2,620

37.02%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.57

$2.29 Ft 699

81.22%

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

$3.38 €2.91

$1.58 Ft 483

113.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.55

$1.14 Ft 348

159.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 €4.59

$2.25 Ft 687

136.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.95

$2.92 Ft 891

57.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.12 Ft 340

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.48 Ft 451

47.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.84

$2.02 Ft 616

63.37%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.34

$2.80 Ft 854

38.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 €12.59

$9.75 Ft 2,973

50.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 €11.92

$5.93 Ft 1,808

133.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.07 €17.26

$12.30 Ft 3,750

63.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.75

$1.75 Ft 534

82.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.93 Ft 589

-2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.99 Ft 606

15.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 €4.11

$3.13 Ft 953

52.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.10 Ft 337

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.22 Ft 371

34.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.38 Ft 421

39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.55 Ft 169

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 €8.33

$6.80 Ft 2,074

42.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.94

$5.54 Ft 1,691

3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.09 Ft 333

0.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.50 Ft 456

8.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 €3.22

$1.29 Ft 392

189.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 €57.6

$26.08 Ft 7,953

156.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 €5.10

$3.24 Ft 989

83.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.12 Ft 340

108.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.50 €32.26

$18.77 Ft 5,725

99.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.79 Ft 547

12.85%

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

$31.2K €26.8K

$28.6K Ft 8.7M

9.11%

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

$37.8K €32.5K

$30.6K Ft 9.3M

23.57%

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

$356 €306

$147 Ft 44.7K

142.53%

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

$27.58 €23.73

$26.45 Ft 8,065

4.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €44.49

$20.30 Ft 6,192

154.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 €34.75

$53.5 Ft 16.3K

-24.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.17 €21.65

$18.14 Ft 5,533

38.75%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 €11.83

$8.56 Ft 2,610

60.63%

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

$477 €410

$388 Ft 118.2K

22.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$10.0K Ft 3.1M

51.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 €81.7

$80.8 Ft 24.6K

17.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.64 €38.40

$36.82 Ft 11.2K

21.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$90.4 Ft 27.6K

14.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$96.2 Ft 29.3K

40.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 €867

$576 Ft 175.5K

75.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 €670

$452 Ft 137.9K

72.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 €1,657

$972 Ft 296.6K

98.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 €1,262

$776 Ft 236.7K

88.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,266 €5,390

$3,966 Ft 1.2M

57.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,093 €3,521

$2,934 Ft 894.9K

39.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,405 €2,929

$1,425 Ft 434.5K

138.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

7.35

-45.85%

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

Last update for Germany: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hungary: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $846 in Germany, $448 in Hungary. Capital cities: $1,410 in Berlin vs $719 in Budapest.

National salary averages: $3,209 in Germany, $1,263 in Hungary. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 89% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 64% more in Germany.

Public transport is 148% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 154% higher in Germany, giving Germany stronger purchasing power.

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 $2,099 per month in Germany and $1,167 in Hungary, there's a 80% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Hungary is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Germany beats Hungary across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Hungary, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Germany, it works in regional areas but 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; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.