Cost of Living Comparison Between Hungary and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Hungary and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,124 per month in Hungary vs $1,720 in Italy, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,710 per month in Hungary vs $2,626 in Italy, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,296 per month in Hungary vs $3,531 in Italy, rent included.

The cost of living in Hungary is roughly 35% lower than in Italy on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Hungary sits 16% below the global median, while Italy is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Italy ($1,191–$2,443) than in Hungary ($894–$1,435), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 Ft 3,659

$17.16 €14.86

-32.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.3 Ft 16.2K

$81.4 €70.5

-36.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 Ft 2,639

$11.60 €10.05

-27.76%

Cappuccino

$2.41 Ft 759

$1.98 €1.71

21.72%

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

$1.60 Ft 503

$3.00 €2.60

-46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 Ft 373

$1.36 €1.18

-13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 Ft 730

$5.92 €5.13

-60.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 Ft 926

$5.25 €4.55

-44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Ft 350

$1.70 €1.48

-34.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 486

$2.37 €2.05

-35.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 Ft 611

$3.03 €2.63

-35.97%

Eggs

$2.91 Ft 915

$3.95 €3.42

-26.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 Ft 3,004

$16.66 €14.43

-42.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 Ft 1,866

$12.26 €10.61

-51.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 Ft 3,909

$20.06 €17.37

-38.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 Ft 535

$2.55 €2.21

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 593

$2.20 €1.91

-14.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 Ft 626

$2.75 €2.38

-27.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 Ft 1,031

$3.22 €2.79

1.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 Ft 366

$1.94 €1.68

-40.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 Ft 401

$1.82 €1.58

-30.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 Ft 436

$1.48 €1.28

-6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 166

$0.50 €0.43

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 Ft 2,030

$7.13 €6.17

-9.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 Ft 1,566

$7.37 €6.38

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 359

$1.76 €1.52

-35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 Ft 489

$2.53 €2.19

-38.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Ft 401

$1.99 €1.72

-36.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.79 Ft 8,125

$42.32 €36.65

-39.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 Ft 972

$5.67 €4.91

-45.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 Ft 353

$1.52 €1.31

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.67 Ft 5,883

$34.94 €30.25

-46.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 Ft 560

$2.09 €1.81

-14.83%

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

$28.4K Ft 9.0M

$32.7K €28.3K

-13.00%

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

$30.0K Ft 9.5M

$32.9K €28.5K

-8.71%

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

$148 Ft 46.6K

$227 €196

-34.83%

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

$26.33 Ft 8,295

$13.58 €11.76

93.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.67 Ft 6,514

$31.57 €27.34

-34.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 Ft 16.6K

$57.7 €49.93

-8.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.99 Ft 5,669

$25.23 €21.85

-28.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 Ft 2,663

$10.59 €9.18

-20.21%

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

$384 Ft 120.9K

$568 €492

-32.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K Ft 3.2M

$10.5K €9,126

-2.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 Ft 25.7K

$90.7 €78.5

-9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.31 Ft 11.4K

$40.49 €35.06

-10.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 Ft 27.6K

$99.8 €86.4

-12.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 Ft 30.1K

$130 €112

-26.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 Ft 184.5K

$865 €749

-32.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 Ft 140.5K

$672 €582

-33.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 Ft 305.6K

$1,523 €1,319

-36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 Ft 237.4K

$1,078 €934

-30.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,743 Ft 1.2M

$3,767 €3,262

-0.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,851 Ft 898.1K

$2,360 €2,044

20.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,369 Ft 431.3K

$1,949 €1,688

-29.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.35

4.41

66.67%

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

Last update for Hungary: July 28, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $449 in Hungary vs $743 in Italy. For reference, capital cities sit at $738 in Budapest and $1,334 in Rome.

Average salary: $1,209 in Hungary vs $1,912 in Italy. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 65% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 68% more in Italy.

Public transport is 76% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 58% higher in Italy.

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

Hungary vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hungary is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 56% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Italy, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Italy consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Hungary, contributing to the overall 56% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Hungary, but in Italy it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Hungary is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.