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 $1,118 in Hungary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Germany versus $1,706 in Hungary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,078 in Germany versus $2,293 in Hungary.

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

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,340 to $2,866, compared to $878–$1,463 in Hungary. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.94

$11.65 Ft 3,666

46.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 €66.4

$51.0 Ft 16.0K

49.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 €10.29

$8.51 Ft 2,677

38.31%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.46

$2.36 Ft 744

67.80%

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

$3.39 €2.96

$1.59 Ft 499

113.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.66

$1.13 Ft 356

169.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 €4.60

$2.27 Ft 713

132.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.06

$2.80 Ft 882

65.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.11 Ft 349

16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.55 Ft 489

41.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 €3.04

$1.99 Ft 627

74.37%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.42

$2.87 Ft 901

36.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €13.13

$9.46 Ft 2,977

58.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €12.13

$6.00 Ft 1,887

131.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.12 €17.58

$12.28 Ft 3,863

63.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 €2.74

$1.68 Ft 529

86.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.87 Ft 587

1.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.07 Ft 652

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 €4.15

$3.29 Ft 1,033

44.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.11 Ft 350

45.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.26 Ft 395

24.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 €1.66

$1.38 Ft 434

37.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.53 Ft 165

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 €8.64

$6.65 Ft 2,092

48.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €5.08

$4.93 Ft 1,552

18.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.15 Ft 361

-6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.55 Ft 487

8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.32

$1.33 Ft 418

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 €58.3

$25.75 Ft 8,101

158.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.01

$3.15 Ft 991

81.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.02

$1.16 Ft 365

99.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.07 €33.26

$18.81 Ft 5,918

102.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.77 Ft 556

10.17%

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

$30.9K €27.0K

$28.0K Ft 8.8M

10.46%

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

$37.6K €32.8K

$30.0K Ft 9.4M

25.33%

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

$349 €305

$147 Ft 46.4K

136.49%

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

$27.86 €24.34

$26.08 Ft 8,203

6.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 €44.58

$20.51 Ft 6,452

148.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 €36.01

$52.4 Ft 16.5K

-21.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 €21.40

$18.02 Ft 5,669

35.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 €12.11

$8.65 Ft 2,721

60.23%

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

$472 €412

$391 Ft 123.0K

20.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.1K

$10.3K Ft 3.2M

45.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €81.1

$81.2 Ft 25.5K

14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 €37.86

$36.87 Ft 11.6K

17.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.5

$87.4 Ft 27.5K

18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €115

$93.3 Ft 29.3K

40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 €906

$572 Ft 179.8K

81.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 €665

$443 Ft 139.3K

71.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 €1,685

$960 Ft 301.9K

100.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 €1,256

$758 Ft 238.4K

89.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,101 €5,331

$3,730 Ft 1.2M

63.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,120 €3,599

$2,810 Ft 883.9K

46.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,351 €2,928

$1,356 Ft 426.6K

147.07%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Hungary: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $846 in Germany, $448 in Hungary. Capital cities: $1,439 in Berlin vs $715 in Budapest.

National salary averages: $3,150 in Germany, $1,212 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 60% more in Germany.

Public transport is 148% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 160% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

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 $2,103 per month in Germany and $1,171 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.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Hungary: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.