Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Incheon and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Incheon: $1,373 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
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Incheon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,373

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,373 per month in Incheon vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Incheon $1,373
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,106 per month in Incheon vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Incheon $2,106
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,839 per month in Incheon vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Incheon $2,839
Budapest $3,429

Incheon is about 15% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Incheon and Budapest sit above the global median – Incheon by 2%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 ₩7,874

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-57.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 ₩46.2K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-43.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 ₩8,703

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-35.72%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩4,988

$3.26 Ft 1,055

15.03%

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

$1.61 ₩2,147

$2.14 Ft 690

-24.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₩851

$1.78 Ft 577

-64.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 ₩4,544

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ₩6,162

$3.77 Ft 1,217

22.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,715

$1.15 Ft 371

77.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,160

$1.79 Ft 578

74.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,109

$2.49 Ft 804

-6.02%

Eggs

$3.33 ₩4,427

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 ₩20.6K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

39.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 ₩10.5K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.7K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-24.71%

Apples (1kg)

$7.84 ₩10.4K

$1.83 Ft 591

328.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,206

$2.05 Ft 661

54.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,529

$2.37 Ft 765

138.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.38 ₩8,481

$3.90 Ft 1,260

63.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,585

$0.99 Ft 320

248.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,213

$1.00 Ft 322

142.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,768

$1.58 Ft 511

31.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,528

$0.67 Ft 216

71.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,609

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-56.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.0K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

202.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₩2,931

$1.27 Ft 411

73.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,306

$2.03 Ft 654

59.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,412

$1.52 Ft 490

-30.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.53 ₩32.6K

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-12.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₩4,752

$3.31 Ft 1,070

7.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩852

$1.37 Ft 442

-53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 ₩12.3K

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-53.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₩1,860

$1.82 Ft 589

-23.08%

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

$29.0K ₩38.6M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-2.65%

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

$28.6K ₩38.0M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-15.55%

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

$209 ₩277.2K

$171 Ft 55.3K

21.84%

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

$35.24 ₩46.9K

$23.51 Ft 7,596

49.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 ₩27.7K

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-10.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 ₩44.4K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-50.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.21 ₩50.8K

$18.89 Ft 6,104

102.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

21.08%

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

$295 ₩392.8K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-44.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ₩24.1M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

8.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 ₩76.0K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-42.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 ₩43.6K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-24.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₩92.4K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.1K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-29.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₩812.1K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-26.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩480.1K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-41.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-20.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₩921.3K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,723 ₩8.9M

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

15.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,498 ₩7.3M

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

41.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,411 ₩3.2M

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

46.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.45

-36.74%

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

Last update for Incheon: 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

Incheon

$399 29%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 35.3% $141

Accommodation & Living

Incheon

$361 26.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 72.2% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Incheon

$265 19.3%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 17.6% $47

Eating Out

Incheon

$147 10.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 51.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Incheon

$110 8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 52.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Incheon

$56 4.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 54% $30

Getting Around

Incheon

$36 2.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 24.4% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $611 in Incheon 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 46% higher in Incheon, 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 $35.00 in Incheon versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in Incheon vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Incheon

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

20:39 8:39 PM

7 h behind Incheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,870,545

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

Incheon Budapest 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Incheon
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

Incheon vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,059 per month in Incheon 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 Incheon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Incheon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $295 per month in Incheon and $533 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 Incheon, where all-in costs run around $1,373, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Incheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Incheon – 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 Incheon. 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.