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

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

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

The cost of living in Italy is about 38% higher than in Hungary on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 30% above the global median, while Hungary is 6% below – 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

$21.07 €18.35

$12.58 Ft 3,974

67.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 €70.6

$57.4 Ft 18.1K

41.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €10.02

$9.68 Ft 3,059

18.80%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.83

$2.65 Ft 838

-20.75%

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

$3.07 €2.67

$1.77 Ft 561

73.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.36 Ft 430

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.10

$2.82 Ft 892

107.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.98

$2.79 Ft 882

105.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.25 Ft 396

27.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.10

$1.55 Ft 490

55.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.61

$2.38 Ft 753

25.63%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.78

$3.55 Ft 1,121

22.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 €15.35

$10.72 Ft 3,388

64.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.69 €11.05

$6.77 Ft 2,138

87.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.80 €18.12

$15.11 Ft 4,772

37.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.28

$2.05 Ft 648

27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.86

$2.14 Ft 677

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.30 Ft 725

21.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.93

$3.56 Ft 1,125

-5.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.10 Ft 348

85.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.29 Ft 409

51.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.60 Ft 506

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.46

$0.54 Ft 171

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 €5.96

$7.71 Ft 2,436

-11.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.72

$5.42 Ft 1,712

42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.25 Ft 396

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.17

$2.02 Ft 638

23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 €1.67

$1.41 Ft 445

35.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.16 €38.47

$28.10 Ft 8,878

57.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.11

$3.40 Ft 1,075

72.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.39 Ft 440

22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.16 €30.63

$18.83 Ft 5,949

86.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.84 Ft 583

14.67%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$31.3K Ft 9.9M

18.06%

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

$36.5K €31.8K

$35.5K Ft 11.2M

2.66%

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

$229 €200

$162 Ft 51.3K

41.48%

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

$12.09 €10.53

$27.02 Ft 8,537

-55.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €27.51

$23.54 Ft 7,439

34.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €47.15

$53.0 Ft 16.7K

2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 €21.36

$17.47 Ft 5,521

40.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.39

$9.00 Ft 2,844

19.78%

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

$562 €490

$404 Ft 127.6K

39.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.7K

$11.5K Ft 3.6M

6.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 €82.1

$90.7 Ft 28.7K

3.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.47

$37.31 Ft 11.8K

9.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.6

$97.9 Ft 30.9K

6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$103 Ft 32.6K

32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 €724

$609 Ft 192.6K

36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 €563

$458 Ft 144.7K

41.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 €1,263

$1,038 Ft 328.0K

39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €942

$818 Ft 258.5K

32.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,816 €3,324

$3,909 Ft 1.2M

-2.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,312 €2,014

$2,889 Ft 912.6K

-19.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,954 €1,702

$1,340 Ft 423.5K

45.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

7.2

-50.42%

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

Last update for Italy: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hungary: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $1,958 in Italy vs $1,221 in Hungary. 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

Italy vs Hungary: 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.