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 $1,719 per month in Italy vs $1,124 in Hungary, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,625 per month in Italy vs $1,706 in Hungary, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,531 per month in Italy vs $2,288 in Hungary, rent included.

Italy costs about 53% more than Hungary on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 28% above the global median, while Hungary is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Italy has a wider regional cost range ($1,156–$2,452) than Hungary ($891–$1,451), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €14.66

$11.62 Ft 3,516

46.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 €71.0

$51.4 Ft 15.5K

60.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.62 €10.01

$8.56 Ft 2,591

35.75%

Cappuccino

$1.91 €1.64

$2.31 Ft 700

-17.32%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$1.59 Ft 480

89.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.18 Ft 358

11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 €5.01

$2.36 Ft 714

146.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.41

$2.94 Ft 888

74.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.16 Ft 350

41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.55 Ft 470

56.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.98 Ft 600

47.47%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.55

$2.86 Ft 865

44.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.70 €14.39

$9.63 Ft 2,913

73.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €10.86

$5.87 Ft 1,777

114.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.61 €17.76

$12.66 Ft 3,829

62.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.77 Ft 534

40.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.87 Ft 567

14.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$1.98 Ft 598

37.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$3.13 Ft 948

3.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.11 Ft 336

74.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.22 Ft 368

48.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.43 Ft 434

3.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.55 Ft 167

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.87

$6.47 Ft 1,957

5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 €6.32

$5.08 Ft 1,538

44.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.10 Ft 332

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.50 Ft 452

69.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.32 Ft 398

52.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.70 €35.93

$25.79 Ft 7,802

61.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.09

$3.24 Ft 981

82.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.12 Ft 340

35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.23 €29.50

$19.36 Ft 5,857

76.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.72 Ft 521

23.84%

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

$32.8K €28.3K

$28.6K Ft 8.7M

14.76%

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

$33.5K €28.9K

$30.1K Ft 9.1M

11.16%

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

$226 €194

$150 Ft 45.4K

50.36%

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

$13.32 €11.48

$26.25 Ft 7,941

-49.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.26 €26.94

$20.11 Ft 6,083

55.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 €49.02

$53.1 Ft 16.1K

7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 €22.15

$18.07 Ft 5,468

42.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 €8.92

$8.64 Ft 2,615

19.79%

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

$579 €499

$393 Ft 118.9K

47.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,076

$10.1K Ft 3.1M

4.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 €77.7

$78.8 Ft 23.8K

14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 €35.15

$36.91 Ft 11.2K

10.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 €85.1

$89.3 Ft 27.0K

10.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €115

$95.2 Ft 28.8K

39.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €735

$582 Ft 176.0K

46.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €575

$453 Ft 137.1K

47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,307

$989 Ft 299.2K

53.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 €933

$755 Ft 228.5K

43.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,767 €3,245

$3,812 Ft 1.2M

-1.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 €2,071

$2,953 Ft 893.4K

-18.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,986 €1,711

$1,396 Ft 422.4K

42.22%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Hungary: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $742 in Italy vs $449 in Hungary. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,368 in Rome and $743 in Budapest.

Average salary: $1,931 in Italy vs $1,249 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 64% more in Italy.

Public transport is 76% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 55% 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 54% 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 54% 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.