Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelph and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,586 in Guelph, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
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Guelph Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,586 per month in Guelph vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Guelph $2,586
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,627 per month in Guelph vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Guelph $3,627
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,669 per month in Guelph vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Guelph $4,669
Budapest $3,489

Guelph costs about 60% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guelph and Budapest sit above the global median – Guelph by 93%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.26 CA$30.31

$13.99 Ft 4,551

51.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$101

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

16.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$16.03

$9.96 Ft 3,241

12.95%

Cappuccino

$3.40 CA$4.84

$3.38 Ft 1,100

0.59%

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

$1.49 CA$2.12

$2.13 Ft 692

-30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.92

$1.87 Ft 608

-27.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 CA$7.16

$3.75 Ft 1,221

34.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CA$8.52

$3.57 Ft 1,162

67.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$3.00

$1.13 Ft 368

85.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$4.05

$1.84 Ft 599

54.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.36

$2.39 Ft 777

57.32%

Eggs

$2.86 CA$4.08

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-25.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 CA$14.37

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-11.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.98

$6.74 Ft 2,192

128.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.75 CA$31.00

$14.69 Ft 4,780

48.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.19

$1.84 Ft 597

97.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.86

$2.01 Ft 653

-35.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 CA$6.29

$2.36 Ft 767

87.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 CA$6.41

$3.77 Ft 1,226

19.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$0.96 Ft 313

254.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CA$3.33

$1.03 Ft 334

127.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 CA$4.15

$1.56 Ft 509

86.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.15

$0.66 Ft 216

128.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CA$15.36

$7.96 Ft 2,591

35.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 CA$15.74

$6.01 Ft 1,954

83.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 CA$4.92

$1.30 Ft 421

165.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.45

$2.08 Ft 676

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$1.50 Ft 489

48.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 CA$93.3

$27.61 Ft 8,982

137.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 CA$3.41

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-27.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$1.30 Ft 424

36.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.16 CA$34.43

$19.78 Ft 6,436

22.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.61

$1.81 Ft 591

-37.57%

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

$28.2K CA$40.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-3.85%

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

$20.2K CA$28.7K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-40.89%

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

$123 CA$175

$170 Ft 55.3K

-27.89%

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

$42.86 CA$61.1

$23.98 Ft 7,802

78.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CA$78.6

$23.42 Ft 7,621

135.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 CA$77.9

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-17.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 CA$20.13

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-26.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 CA$14.85

$9.52 Ft 3,098

9.45%

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

$812 CA$1,158

$537 Ft 174.6K

51.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.7K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

0.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 CA$88.0

$101 Ft 33.0K

-39.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 CA$51.3

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-16.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$122

$113 Ft 36.7K

-24.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$176

$119 Ft 38.6K

3.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 CA$2,072

$805 Ft 262.0K

80.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 CA$1,964

$629 Ft 204.7K

119.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 CA$2,876

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

30.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 CA$2,757

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

65.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,827 CA$6,881

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-14.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,691 CA$6,686

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,147 CA$4,486

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

93.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

6.43

-22.40%

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

Last update for Guelph: 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

Guelph

$1.4K 53.1%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 54.3% $749

Groceries & Markets

Guelph

$405 15.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 36.4% $147

Eating Out

Guelph

$293 11.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 23.5% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guelph

$221 8.5%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 1.5% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

Guelph

$138 5.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 22.5% $31

Getting Around

Guelph

$86 3.3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 49.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Guelph

$76 2.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 12.9% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,453 in Guelph 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 94% higher in Guelph, 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 $71.0 in Guelph versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Guelph

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:18 2:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

6 h ahead of Guelph

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

131,794

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guelph Budapest 7,180 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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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

Guelph vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guelph is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,879 per month in Guelph 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 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 137% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Guelph and $537 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 $1,621, than in Guelph at $2,586. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guelph 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, Guelph makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.