Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawassa and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawassa: $834 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Hawassa
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Hawassa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Hawassa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$834

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $834 per month in Hawassa vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Hawassa $834
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,199 per month in Hawassa vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Hawassa $1,199
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,564 per month in Hawassa vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Hawassa $1,564
Budapest $3,429

Hawassa is about 48% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Hawassa sits 38% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 ETB 625

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-72.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 ETB 6,758

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-31.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 ETB 1,054

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-35.62%

Cappuccino

$0.95 ETB 153

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-70.86%

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

$0.63 ETB 102

$2.14 Ft 690

-70.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ETB 110

$1.78 Ft 577

-61.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 ETB 133

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-77.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ETB 370

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-38.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ETB 172

$1.15 Ft 371

-6.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ETB 188

$1.79 Ft 578

-34.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ETB 163

$2.49 Ft 804

-59.44%

Eggs

$1.58 ETB 253

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-59.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.40 ETB 1,188

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 ETB 1,616

$6.62 Ft 2,139

52.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 ETB 1,458

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-38.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ETB 859

$1.83 Ft 591

192.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ETB 109

$2.05 Ft 661

-66.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ETB 341

$2.37 Ft 765

-10.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ETB 106

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-83.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 80.5

$0.99 Ft 320

-49.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ETB 169

$1.00 Ft 322

6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 110

$1.58 Ft 511

-56.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ETB 91.3

$0.67 Ft 216

-14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 ETB 1,312

$7.96 Ft 2,572

2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.55 ETB 891

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-10.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ETB 106

$1.27 Ft 411

-48.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ETB 206

$2.03 Ft 654

-36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ETB 210

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-60.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 42.86

$1.37 Ft 442

-80.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ETB 326

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-89.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 ETB 147

$1.82 Ft 589

-49.45%

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

$54.6K ETB 8.8M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

83.27%

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

$56.4K ETB 9.0M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

66.72%

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

$202 ETB 32.5K

$171 Ft 55.3K

18.15%

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

$7.21 ETB 1,158

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-69.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 ETB 34.2K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

815.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$3.84 ETB 616

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-58.71%

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

$136 ETB 21.9K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-74.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K ETB 4.9M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

80.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.37 ETB 5,356

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-66.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 ETB 11.3K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

62.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 ETB 12.6K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-28.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 ETB 13.4K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 ETB 79.3K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-87.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

6.45

186.82%

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

Last update for Hawassa: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hawassa

$423 50.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 48.4% $205

Groceries & Markets

Hawassa

$205 24.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 25.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Hawassa

$120 14.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 39.9% $48

Eating Out

Hawassa

$76 9.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 192% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Hawassa

$7.7 * 0.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 1023% $78

Getting Around

Hawassa

$2.6 * 0.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 1576% $42

Accommodation & Living

Hawassa

- * 0%

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Hawassa versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $258 – making Hawassa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Hawassa

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

06:56 6:56 AM

1 h behind Hawassa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 160 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hawassa Budapest 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Hawassa
Budapest

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

Hawassa vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,252 per month in Hawassa and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Hawassa and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hawassa, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Hawassa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hawassa – 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 Hawassa. 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.