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

Name: Hungary
Address: HU

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

The cost of living in Italy is about 53% higher than in Hungary on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 29% above the global median, while Hungary is 16% below – 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

$17.16 €14.86

$11.61 Ft 3,659

47.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 €70.5

$51.3 Ft 16.2K

58.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.05

$8.38 Ft 2,639

38.42%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.71

$2.41 Ft 759

-17.84%

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

$3.00 €2.60

$1.60 Ft 503

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.18 Ft 373

15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.13

$2.32 Ft 730

155.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.55

$2.94 Ft 926

78.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.11 Ft 350

53.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.05

$1.54 Ft 486

53.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.63

$1.94 Ft 611

56.19%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.42

$2.91 Ft 915

35.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.66 €14.43

$9.53 Ft 3,004

74.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.26 €10.61

$5.92 Ft 1,866

107.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 €17.37

$12.41 Ft 3,909

61.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$1.70 Ft 535

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.91

$1.88 Ft 593

17.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.38

$1.99 Ft 626

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.79

$3.27 Ft 1,031

-1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.16 Ft 366

67.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.27 Ft 401

43.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.38 Ft 436

7.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$0.53 Ft 166

-5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.17

$6.44 Ft 2,030

10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 €6.38

$4.97 Ft 1,566

48.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.14 Ft 359

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.19

$1.55 Ft 489

63.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.27 Ft 401

56.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.32 €36.65

$25.79 Ft 8,125

64.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.91

$3.09 Ft 972

83.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.12 Ft 353

35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.94 €30.25

$18.67 Ft 5,883

87.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.78 Ft 560

17.42%

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

$32.7K €28.3K

$28.4K Ft 9.0M

14.94%

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

$32.9K €28.5K

$30.0K Ft 9.5M

9.54%

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

$227 €196

$148 Ft 46.6K

53.44%

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

$13.58 €11.76

$26.33 Ft 8,295

-48.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €27.34

$20.67 Ft 6,514

52.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.93

$52.7 Ft 16.6K

9.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.23 €21.85

$17.99 Ft 5,669

40.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 €9.18

$8.45 Ft 2,663

25.33%

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

$568 €492

$384 Ft 120.9K

47.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,126

$10.3K Ft 3.2M

2.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €78.5

$81.7 Ft 25.7K

11.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.49 €35.06

$36.31 Ft 11.4K

11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 €86.4

$87.5 Ft 27.6K

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €112

$95.7 Ft 30.1K

35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 €749

$586 Ft 184.5K

47.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 €582

$446 Ft 140.5K

50.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 €1,319

$970 Ft 305.6K

57.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 €934

$753 Ft 237.4K

43.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,767 €3,262

$3,743 Ft 1.2M

0.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,360 €2,044

$2,851 Ft 898.1K

-17.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,949 €1,688

$1,369 Ft 431.3K

42.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

7.35

-40.00%

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

Last update for Italy: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hungary: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $1,912 in Italy vs $1,209 in Hungary. 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

Italy vs Hungary: 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.