Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kecskemet and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Kecskemet: $1,171 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Kecskemet
Learn more

Kecskemet Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Kecskemet

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,171

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,171 per month in Kecskemet vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Kecskemet $1,171
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,730 per month in Kecskemet vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Kecskemet $1,730
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $2,289 per month in Kecskemet vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Kecskemet $2,289
Budapest $3,467

Kecskemet is about 28% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kecskemet sits 14% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.30 Ft 3,065

$13.81 Ft 4,552

-32.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.01 Ft 10.2K

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

-49.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 Ft 2,458

$10.16 Ft 3,349

-26.57%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Ft 509

$3.22 Ft 1,062

-51.86%

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

$1.57 Ft 519

$2.06 Ft 680

-23.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 Ft 413

$1.83 Ft 605

-31.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 Ft 758

$3.60 Ft 1,188

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 Ft 732

$3.66 Ft 1,208

-39.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 Ft 375

$1.19 Ft 392

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 Ft 422

$1.87 Ft 617

-31.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 Ft 832

$2.37 Ft 780

6.33%

Eggs

$3.66 Ft 1,208

$3.96 Ft 1,305

-7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 Ft 3,495

$11.16 Ft 3,680

-5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 Ft 2,103

$6.76 Ft 2,228

-5.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.73 Ft 4,527

$14.35 Ft 4,731

-4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 596

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 Ft 556

$2.11 Ft 695

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 607

$2.33 Ft 770

-21.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 Ft 1,020

$3.80 Ft 1,254

-18.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 Ft 320

$0.99 Ft 327

-2.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 Ft 361

$0.98 Ft 324

12.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 Ft 396

$1.55 Ft 512

-22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Ft 168

$0.70 Ft 230

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 Ft 2,247

$7.79 Ft 2,569

-12.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.74 Ft 1,232

$6.05 Ft 1,995

-38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 Ft 405

$1.28 Ft 421

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 Ft 650

$2.04 Ft 672

-3.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 Ft 367

$1.55 Ft 511

-28.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.31 Ft 6,036

$27.28 Ft 8,995

-32.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 Ft 407

$3.30 Ft 1,087

-62.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 Ft 538

$1.31 Ft 433

24.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.23 Ft 6,009

$20.26 Ft 6,679

-10.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 600

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

$27.3K Ft 9.0M

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

-4.95%

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

$32.9K Ft 10.9M

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

-0.46%

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

$127 Ft 41.8K

$172 Ft 56.8K

-26.32%

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

$32.09 Ft 10.6K

$23.95 Ft 7,897

33.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.40 Ft 6,395

$23.31 Ft 7,685

-16.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 Ft 20.1K

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-11.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 Ft 9,198

$18.91 Ft 6,235

47.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 Ft 2,542

$10.18 Ft 3,356

-24.26%

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

$245 Ft 80.9K

$600 Ft 197.9K

-59.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,732 Ft 2.2M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-59.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 Ft 36.8K

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.02 Ft 4,951

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

-65.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.49 Ft 15.3K

$113 Ft 37.2K

-58.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 Ft 25.4K

$117 Ft 38.6K

-34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 Ft 163.6K

$836 Ft 275.6K

-40.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 Ft 131.8K

$640 Ft 210.9K

-37.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 Ft 227.8K

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

-56.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 Ft 196.0K

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

-50.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,336 Ft 770.2K

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-58.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,013 Ft 663.5K

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-47.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 Ft 351.3K

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

-36.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.45

3.41%

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

Last update for Kecskemet: October 25, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kecskemet

$400 34.1%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 60% $240

Groceries & Markets

Kecskemet

$229 19.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 12.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kecskemet

$178 15.2%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 23% $41

Eating Out

Kecskemet

$143 12.2%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 54.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Kecskemet

$113 9.6%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 48.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Kecskemet

$76 6.5%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 16.4% $13

Getting Around

Kecskemet

$32 2.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 34.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $496 in Kecskemet versus $836 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 57% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Kecskemet versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $258 – making Kecskemet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Kecskemet

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Kecskemet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,450

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kecskemet Budapest 82 km

From you

Kecskemet
Budapest

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

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

Kecskemet vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,757 per month in Kecskemet and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kecskemet, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $496 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Kecskemet. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $245 per month in Kecskemet and $600 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kecskemet, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Kecskemet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kecskemet – 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 Kecskemet. 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.