Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isfahan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $475 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$475

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $475 per month in Isfahan vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Isfahan $475
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $801 per month in Isfahan vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Isfahan $801
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,127 per month in Isfahan vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Isfahan $1,127
Budapest $3,489

Isfahan is about 71% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Isfahan sits 65% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-78.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.39 $12.39

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-79.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.99 $2.99

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-69.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 $0.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

Cappuccino

$0.98 $0.98

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-71.01%

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

$0.48 $0.48

$2.13 Ft 692

-77.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.87 Ft 608

-73.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.13 Ft 368

-57.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 $0.43

$1.84 Ft 599

-76.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.39 Ft 777

-20.92%

Eggs

$1.45 $1.45

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-62.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-74.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-64.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.84 Ft 597

-61.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.01 Ft 653

-35.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.36 Ft 767

-56.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 $0.60

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-84.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$0.96 Ft 313

-42.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.03 Ft 334

-52.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.56 Ft 509

-64.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.66 Ft 216

-68.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.48 $0.48

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 $2.08

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-73.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$1.50 Ft 489

-79.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.62 $12.62

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-54.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-84.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.30 Ft 424

-77.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-90.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.81 Ft 591

-48.62%

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

$67.3K $67.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

129.43%

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

$59.0K $59.0K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

73.00%

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

$10.18 $10.18

$170 Ft 55.3K

-94.01%

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

$2.00 $2.00

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-91.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.35 $7.35

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-68.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.71 $13.71

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-79.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.36 $13.36

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-30.34%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-89.29%

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

$71.9 $71.9

$537 Ft 174.6K

-86.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$528 $528

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-96.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.34 $18.34

$101 Ft 33.0K

-81.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.42 $24.42

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-43.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 $85.4

$113 Ft 36.7K

-24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.85 $36.85

$119 Ft 38.6K

-68.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 $290

$805 Ft 262.0K

-63.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 $194

$629 Ft 204.7K

-69.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-13.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 $456

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-60.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,175 $1,175

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-79.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$749 $749

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-81.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$205 $205

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-87.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.8

6.43

316.80%

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

Last update for Isfahan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isfahan

$194 41.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 225% $435

Groceries & Markets

Isfahan

$100 21.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 157% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Isfahan

$74 15.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 128% $95

Eating Out

Isfahan

$48 10.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 364% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isfahan

$20 4.2%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 1013% $198

Getting Around

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 175% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 441% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Isfahan versus $805 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 694% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Isfahan versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $100 vs $258 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

1 h 30 min behind Isfahan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,961,260

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Isfahan Budapest 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Isfahan
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Isfahan vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 241%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $713 per month in Isfahan and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 119% less in Isfahan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $71.9 per month in Isfahan and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Isfahan, where all-in costs run around $475, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Isfahan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Isfahan – 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 Isfahan. 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.