Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hirakata and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Hirakata: $1,220 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Hirakata
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Hirakata Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Hirakata

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,220

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,220 per month in Hirakata vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Hirakata $1,220
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,929 per month in Hirakata vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Hirakata $1,929
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,638 per month in Hirakata vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Hirakata $2,638
Budapest $3,483

Hirakata is about 26% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hirakata sits 10% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.59 ¥1,356

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-38.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.38 ¥4,958

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-48.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥786

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-52.07%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ¥458

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-16.18%

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

$1.29 ¥204

$2.07 Ft 669

-37.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$1.77 Ft 572

-59.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 ¥486

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.80 Ft 1,229

1.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥228

$1.16 Ft 374

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ¥206

$1.85 Ft 598

-29.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.49 ¥867

$2.40 Ft 776

128.75%

Eggs

$2.05 ¥324

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-48.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,474

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 ¥1,095

$6.87 Ft 2,221

0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 ¥2,725

$14.49 Ft 4,682

19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥536

$1.88 Ft 607

80.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ¥307

$2.14 Ft 693

-9.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 ¥489

$2.30 Ft 744

34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 ¥652

$4.04 Ft 1,304

2.23%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 ¥637

$1.02 Ft 329

295.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.82 ¥603

$0.99 Ft 320

285.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥216

$1.58 Ft 510

-13.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥138

$0.70 Ft 225

25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥623

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-50.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 ¥1,531

$6.18 Ft 1,997

56.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ¥412

$1.24 Ft 401

110.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ¥495

$2.06 Ft 666

51.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.59 Ft 513

-6.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ¥8,365

$27.52 Ft 8,893

92.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥512

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-5.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 ¥510

$1.33 Ft 431

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.59 ¥2,462

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-23.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.93 Ft 624

-45.08%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-24.57%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-55.85%

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

$114 ¥18.1K

$175 Ft 56.4K

-34.43%

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

$23.50 ¥3,713

$23.62 Ft 7,631

-0.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 ¥4,805

$23.60 Ft 7,625

28.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ¥8,291

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-23.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.47 ¥1,022

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-66.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 ¥1,806

$10.31 Ft 3,333

10.86%

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

$513 ¥81.1K

$535 Ft 172.9K

-4.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K ¥2.1M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-22.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.40 ¥7,646

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-51.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.44 ¥4,810

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-29.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 ¥9,710

$112 Ft 36.1K

-44.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 ¥83.0K

$832 Ft 268.8K

-36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ¥53.1K

$629 Ft 203.3K

-46.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 ¥177.1K

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-29.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.2K

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-39.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,201 ¥663.7K

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-26.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ¥273.3K

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-56.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,904 ¥300.9K

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

11.24%

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 Hirakata: October 20, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hirakata

$336 27.5%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 87.3% $293

Groceries & Markets

Hirakata

$308 25.3%

Budapest

$262 16% 15% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hirakata

$168 13.8%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 31.7% $53

Eating Out

Hirakata

$150 12.3%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 51.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Hirakata

$104 8.5%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 61.8% $64

Getting Around

Hirakata

$78 6.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 43.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Hirakata

$75 6.2%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 18.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $525 in Hirakata 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.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Hirakata, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Hirakata versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $308 in Hirakata vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Hirakata

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

05:13 5:13 AM

7 h behind Hirakata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

402,495

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 21, 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 21, 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 →

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Between locations

Hirakata Budapest 8,900 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Hirakata
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

Hirakata vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,829 per month in Hirakata 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 Hirakata, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 92% less in Hirakata. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $513 per month in Hirakata and $535 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 Hirakata, where all-in costs run around $1,220, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Hirakata it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hirakata – 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 Hirakata. 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.