Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Himeji and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Himeji: $1,283 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
Learn more

Himeji Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,283 per month in Himeji vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Himeji $1,283
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Himeji vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Himeji $2,047
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,811 per month in Himeji vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Himeji $2,811
Budapest $3,483

Himeji is about 22% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Himeji sits 5% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 ¥1,336

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-39.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.07 ¥4,909

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-49.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥807

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-50.72%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ¥371

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-32.08%

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

$1.24 ¥196

$2.07 Ft 669

-40.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥129

$1.77 Ft 572

-53.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥505

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥483

$3.80 Ft 1,229

-19.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ¥247

$1.16 Ft 374

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.85 Ft 598

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 ¥650

$2.40 Ft 776

71.67%

Eggs

$2.18 ¥344

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-45.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.50 ¥2,449

$11.40 Ft 3,683

35.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 ¥1,072

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-1.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.88 ¥2,667

$14.49 Ft 4,682

16.49%

Apples (1kg)

$8.37 ¥1,323

$1.88 Ft 607

345.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 ¥470

$2.14 Ft 693

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 ¥799

$2.30 Ft 744

120.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.86 ¥1,241

$4.04 Ft 1,304

94.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ¥617

$1.02 Ft 329

282.35%

Onion (1kg)

$4.70 ¥743

$0.99 Ft 320

374.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ¥177

$1.58 Ft 510

-29.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥141

$0.70 Ft 225

27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ¥611

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-51.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 ¥1,539

$6.18 Ft 1,997

57.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ¥412

$1.24 Ft 401

110.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥332

$2.06 Ft 666

1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥228

$1.59 Ft 513

-9.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 ¥8,373

$27.52 Ft 8,893

92.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-8.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 ¥446

$1.33 Ft 431

112.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.45 ¥2,441

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-24.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥168

$1.93 Ft 624

-44.56%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-26.19%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-56.52%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$175 Ft 56.4K

-32.63%

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

$23.44 ¥3,704

$23.62 Ft 7,631

-0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 ¥5,003

$23.60 Ft 7,625

34.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥8,314

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 ¥1,795

$10.31 Ft 3,333

10.18%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$535 Ft 172.9K

5.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-12.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.92 ¥7,886

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-50.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 ¥5,611

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-17.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥9,739

$112 Ft 36.1K

-44.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 ¥15.7K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥85.4K

$832 Ft 268.8K

-34.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.8K

$629 Ft 203.3K

-47.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ¥173.8K

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-30.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.2K

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-39.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 ¥680.0K

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-24.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 ¥272.5K

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-56.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

6.45

-68.68%

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

Last update for Himeji: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Himeji

$379 29.5%

Budapest

$262 16% 30.9% $117

Accommodation & Living

Himeji

$328 25.6%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 91.8% $301

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Himeji

$173 13.5%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 28.4% $49

Eating Out

Himeji

$142 11%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 59.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Himeji

$111 8.6%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 51.8% $57

Getting Around

Himeji

$76 5.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 42.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Himeji

$75 5.9%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 18.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Himeji versus $832 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Himeji versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Himeji vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Himeji

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

7 h behind Himeji

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

535,571

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Himeji Budapest 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Himeji
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

Himeji vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,925 per month in Himeji and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 93% less in Himeji. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $564 per month in Himeji and $535 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Himeji, where all-in costs run around $1,283, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Himeji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Himeji – 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 Himeji. 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.