Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jamestown and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Jamestown: $89.5 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Jamestown

🇸🇭 Saint Helena

$89.5

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $89.5 per month in Jamestown vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Jamestown $89.5
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $154 per month in Jamestown vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Jamestown $154
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $219 per month in Jamestown vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Jamestown $219
Budapest $3,489

Jamestown is about 94% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Jamestown sits 93% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

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

$2.13 Ft 692

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

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)

$1.13 Ft 368

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 SHP 1.37

$1.84 Ft 599

-1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

Eggs

$5.27 SHP 3.98

$3.83 Ft 1,245

37.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 SHP 8.15

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-26.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 SHP 0.98

$0.66 Ft 216

96.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 SHP 9.11

$7.96 Ft 2,591

51.51%

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)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Jamestown: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jamestown

–

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Groceries & Markets

Jamestown

–

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Eating Out

Jamestown

–

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jamestown

–

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Jamestown

–

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Jamestown

–

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Getting Around

Jamestown

–

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Good to know

🇸🇭 Jamestown

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

2 h ahead of Jamestown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Saint Helena Pound SHP £

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 SHP = 1.32 USD

1 SHP = 1.18 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to SHP – Saint Helena Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇭 Saint Helena Pound (£)

Saint Helena Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.755 SHP (1 SHP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 SHP (1 SHP = 1.18 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).

USD to SHP in detail →

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Between locations

Jamestown Budapest 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Jamestown
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

Jamestown vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 1711%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $134 per month in Jamestown and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $89.5 in Jamestown and $1,621 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 1711%.

Groceries cost about 196% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jamestown, where all-in costs run around $89.5, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Jamestown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jamestown – 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 Jamestown. 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.