Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Icheon and Budapest

For one person, living costs are similar in Icheon and in Budapest: $1,595 and $1,619 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,595

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Icheon vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Icheon $1,595
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Icheon vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Icheon $2,043
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Icheon vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Icheon $2,491
Budapest $3,429

Icheon is about 1% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Icheon and Budapest sit above the global median – Icheon by 18%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ₩8,238

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-55.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.38 ₩64.3K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-20.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₩8,804

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-35.03%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₩4,924

$3.26 Ft 1,055

13.50%

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

$1.33 ₩1,774

$2.14 Ft 690

-37.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,553

$1.78 Ft 577

-34.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 ₩5,052

$3.71 Ft 1,198

2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 ₩5,607

$3.77 Ft 1,217

11.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ₩2,970

$1.15 Ft 371

93.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 ₩4,346

$1.79 Ft 578

82.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,263

$2.49 Ft 804

28.92%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,650

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 ₩14.6K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₩14.0K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

59.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.36 ₩33.7K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

72.63%

Apples (1kg)

$11.33 ₩15.1K

$1.83 Ft 591

519.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,731

$2.05 Ft 661

73.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.13 ₩10.8K

$2.37 Ft 765

243.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 ₩7,849

$3.90 Ft 1,260

51.28%

Potato (1kg)

$6.05 ₩8,043

$0.99 Ft 320

511.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,489

$1.00 Ft 322

238.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,647

$1.58 Ft 511

73.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,701

$0.67 Ft 216

91.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,378

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-58.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 ₩24.8K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

199.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₩3,245

$1.27 Ft 411

92.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 ₩4,546

$2.03 Ft 654

68.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,466

$1.52 Ft 490

-27.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$3.31 Ft 1,070

9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₩1,028

$1.37 Ft 442

-43.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.77 ₩22.3K

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-15.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,821

$1.82 Ft 589

-24.73%

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

$29.9K ₩39.8M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

0.43%

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

$33.4K ₩44.4M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-1.23%

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

$200 ₩265.3K

$171 Ft 55.3K

16.60%

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

$36.02 ₩47.9K

$23.51 Ft 7,596

53.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₩36.2K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

16.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.45 ₩29.8K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-66.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 ₩15.0K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

21.29%

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

$642 ₩853.2K

$533 Ft 172.3K

20.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ₩29.4M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

31.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩141.3K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 ₩87.1K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

50.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩124.8K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-14.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.6K

$119 Ft 38.4K

8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₩994.5K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ₩609.7K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-26.26%

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)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,317 ₩3.1M

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

40.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

6.45

-39.53%

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

Last update for Icheon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Icheon

$488 30.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 47.2% $230

Accommodation & Living

Icheon

$459 28.8%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 35.6% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Icheon

$263 16.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 17.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Icheon

$178 11.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 5.6% $10

Eating Out

Icheon

$151 9.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 47.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Icheon

$45 2.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 91.3% $41

Getting Around

Icheon

$12 * 0.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 272% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $748 in Icheon versus $830 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 40% higher in Icheon, 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 $48.00 in Icheon versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $488 in Icheon vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Icheon

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

20:47 8:47 PM

7 h behind Icheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

213,059

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Icheon Budapest 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Icheon
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

Icheon vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,393 per month in Icheon and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Icheon and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 89% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Icheon, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Icheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Icheon – 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 Icheon. 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.