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 $1,288 per month in Hungary vs $1,782 in Italy, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,982 per month in Hungary vs $2,722 in Italy, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,675 per month in Hungary vs $3,662 in Italy, rent included.

The cost of living in Hungary is roughly 28% lower than in Italy on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Hungary sits 6% below the global median, while Italy is 30% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Italy ($1,169–$2,657) than in Hungary ($1,056–$1,666), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 Ft 3,974

$21.07 €18.35

-40.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 Ft 18.1K

$81.0 €70.6

-29.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 Ft 3,059

$11.50 €10.02

-15.83%

Cappuccino

$2.65 Ft 838

$2.10 €1.83

26.19%

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

$1.77 Ft 561

$3.07 €2.67

-42.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 Ft 430

$1.44 €1.25

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 Ft 892

$5.86 €5.10

-51.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Ft 882

$5.72 €4.98

-51.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Ft 396

$1.59 €1.39

-21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 Ft 490

$2.41 €2.10

-35.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 Ft 753

$2.99 €2.61

-20.40%

Eggs

$3.55 Ft 1,121

$4.34 €3.78

-18.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 Ft 3,388

$17.62 €15.35

-39.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 Ft 2,138

$12.69 €11.05

-46.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 Ft 4,772

$20.80 €18.12

-27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 648

$2.61 €2.28

-21.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 677

$2.14 €1.86

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 725

$2.79 €2.43

-17.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 Ft 1,125

$3.37 €2.93

5.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 Ft 348

$2.04 €1.78

-46.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 Ft 409

$1.96 €1.71

-34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 Ft 506

$1.56 €1.35

2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 171

$0.53 €0.46

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 Ft 2,436

$6.84 €5.96

12.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 Ft 1,712

$7.71 €6.72

-29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 Ft 396

$1.86 €1.62

-32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 638

$2.49 €2.17

-18.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 Ft 445

$1.91 €1.67

-26.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.10 Ft 8,878

$44.16 €38.47

-36.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 Ft 1,075

$5.87 €5.11

-42.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 Ft 440

$1.70 €1.48

-18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 Ft 5,949

$35.16 €30.63

-46.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 583

$2.11 €1.84

-12.80%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.9M

$36.9K €32.2K

-15.30%

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

$35.5K Ft 11.2M

$36.5K €31.8K

-2.59%

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

$162 Ft 51.3K

$229 €200

-29.32%

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

$27.02 Ft 8,537

$12.09 €10.53

123.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.54 Ft 7,439

$31.57 €27.51

-25.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 Ft 16.7K

$54.1 €47.15

-2.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 Ft 5,521

$24.51 €21.36

-28.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 Ft 2,844

$10.78 €9.39

-16.51%

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

$404 Ft 127.6K

$562 €490

-28.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K Ft 3.6M

$12.2K €10.7K

-6.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 Ft 28.7K

$94.3 €82.1

-3.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.31 Ft 11.8K

$40.72 €35.47

-8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 Ft 30.9K

$104 €90.6

-5.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 Ft 32.6K

$136 €119

-24.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 Ft 192.6K

$832 €724

-26.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 Ft 144.7K

$646 €563

-29.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 Ft 328.0K

$1,450 €1,263

-28.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 Ft 258.5K

$1,081 €942

-24.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 Ft 1.2M

$3,816 €3,324

2.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,889 Ft 912.6K

$2,312 €2,014

24.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 Ft 423.5K

$1,954 €1,702

-31.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.57

101.68%

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

Last update for Hungary: September 14, 2026

Last update for Italy: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $522 in Hungary vs $748 in Italy. For reference, capital cities sit at $860 in Budapest and $1,238 in Rome.

Average salary: $1,221 in Hungary vs $1,958 in Italy. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 43% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 42% more in Italy.

Public transport is 62% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 60% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 41% 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 41% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 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.