Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Havana and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Havana: $860 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Havana
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Havana Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Havana

🇨🇺 Cuba

$860

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $860 per month in Havana vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Havana $860
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,388 per month in Havana vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Havana $1,388
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,916 per month in Havana vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Havana $1,916
Budapest $3,429

Havana is about 47% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Havana sits 36% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 CUP 86.3

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-74.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.63 CUP 663

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-54.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 CUP 117

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-52.11%

Cappuccino

$1.06 CUP 25.42

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-67.48%

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

$1.51 CUP 36.33

$2.14 Ft 690

-29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.80

$1.78 Ft 577

-44.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 CUP 29.66

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-66.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.10

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 CUP 64.3

$1.15 Ft 371

133.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 CUP 29.26

$1.79 Ft 578

-31.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 CUP 42.35

$2.49 Ft 804

-29.32%

Eggs

$3.50 CUP 83.9

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 CUP 108

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-59.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 CUP 112

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-29.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.56 CUP 205

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-41.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 CUP 149

$1.83 Ft 591

238.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.55

$2.05 Ft 661

-50.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CUP 92.0

$2.37 Ft 765

61.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 CUP 53.8

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-42.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CUP 70.2

$0.99 Ft 320

195.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 CUP 65.7

$1.00 Ft 322

174.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 CUP 17.33

$1.58 Ft 511

-54.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 CUP 13.60

$0.67 Ft 216

-14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 CUP 38.72

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-79.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.37 CUP 129

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CUP 42.38

$1.27 Ft 411

39.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.30

$2.03 Ft 654

0.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 CUP 15.17

$1.52 Ft 490

-58.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.13 CUP 531

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-21.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 CUP 63.1

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-20.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 CUP 7.98

$1.37 Ft 442

-75.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.63 CUP 471

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CUP 30.50

$1.82 Ft 589

-30.22%

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

$60.4K CUP 1.5M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

102.77%

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

$59.1K CUP 1.4M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

74.83%

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

$46.62 CUP 1,119

$171 Ft 55.3K

-72.76%

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

$39.24 CUP 942

$23.51 Ft 7,596

66.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.3 CUP 2,144

$23.29 Ft 7,526

283.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.35 CUP 392

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-75.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.84 CUP 308

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-32.03%

Cinema Ticket

$0.83 CUP 19.99

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-91.08%

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

$156 CUP 3,752

$533 Ft 172.3K

-70.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K CUP 298.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-25.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 CUP 1,253

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-47.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.71 CUP 1,001

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-4.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 CUP 1,919

$110 Ft 35.7K

-27.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 CUP 1,623

$119 Ft 38.4K

-43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 CUP 5,911

$830 Ft 268.3K

-70.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 CUP 5,245

$622 Ft 200.9K

-64.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 CUP 20.9K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 CUP 12.2K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-56.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$314 CUP 7,545

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-94.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$407 CUP 9,762

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-89.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$29.60 CUP 710

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-98.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

6.45

41.09%

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

Last update for Havana: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Havana

$234 27.2%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 10.3% $24

Accommodation & Living

Havana

$219 25.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 185% $403

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Havana

$175 20.4%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 24.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Havana

$109 12.6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 54.2% $59

Eating Out

Havana

$76 8.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 192% $147

Getting Around

Havana

$29 3.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 52.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Havana

$18 2.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 378% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $246 in Havana versus $830 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 5478% 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 $28.00 in Havana versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $258 – making Havana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Havana

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

18:32 6:32 PM

6 h ahead of Havana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,141,993 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Havana Budapest 8,940 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Havana
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Havana vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,289 per month in Havana and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Havana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Havana. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $156 per month in Havana and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Havana, where all-in costs run around $860, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Havana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Havana – 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 Havana. 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.