Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiryat Shmona and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,907 in Kiryat Shmona, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Kiryat Shmona
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Kiryat Shmona Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Kiryat Shmona

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,907

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,907 per month in Kiryat Shmona vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Kiryat Shmona $2,907
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $4,225 per month in Kiryat Shmona vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Kiryat Shmona $4,225
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $5,543 per month in Kiryat Shmona vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Kiryat Shmona $5,543
Budapest $3,429

Kiryat Shmona costs about 80% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kiryat Shmona and Budapest sit above the global median – Kiryat Shmona by 115%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.56 ₪79.5

$13.94 Ft 4,503

83.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 ₪283

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

48.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.70 ₪64.4

$10.19 Ft 3,291

103.14%

Cappuccino

$4.80 ₪14.94

$3.26 Ft 1,055

47.24%

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

$3.96 ₪12.33

$2.14 Ft 690

85.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₪8.41

$1.78 Ft 577

51.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.68 ₪30.13

$3.71 Ft 1,198

160.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 ₪30.91

$3.77 Ft 1,217

163.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$1.15 Ft 371

122.61%

White Bread (500g)

$5.78 ₪17.98

$1.79 Ft 578

222.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 ₪10.53

$2.49 Ft 804

35.74%

Eggs

$4.67 ₪14.53

$3.90 Ft 1,261

19.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 ₪41.29

$11.10 Ft 3,587

19.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.82 ₪58.6

$6.62 Ft 2,139

184.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.11 ₪81.2

$14.69 Ft 4,745

77.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 ₪20.79

$1.83 Ft 591

265.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 ₪9.93

$2.05 Ft 661

55.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 ₪9.41

$2.37 Ft 765

27.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 ₪10.25

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-15.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 ₪6.53

$0.99 Ft 320

112.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ₪5.48

$1.00 Ft 322

76.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 ₪7.32

$1.58 Ft 511

48.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₪7.92

$0.67 Ft 216

280.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 ₪31.63

$7.96 Ft 2,572

27.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 ₪39.71

$6.22 Ft 2,009

105.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 ₪14.58

$1.27 Ft 411

268.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 ₪12.95

$2.03 Ft 654

104.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 ₪7.24

$1.52 Ft 490

53.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.0 ₪305

$28.02 Ft 9,053

249.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₪24.59

$3.31 Ft 1,070

138.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 ₪3.70

$1.37 Ft 442

-13.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.55 ₪98.1

$19.83 Ft 6,406

59.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.98

$1.82 Ft 589

40.66%

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

$57.4K ₪178.4K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

92.47%

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

$57.4K ₪178.7K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

69.88%

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

$336 ₪1,046

$171 Ft 55.3K

96.54%

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

$12.41 ₪38.61

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-47.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.49 ₪151

$23.29 Ft 7,526

108.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 ₪265

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

26.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$16.47 ₪51.2

$9.30 Ft 3,004

77.10%

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

$1,642 ₪5,109

$533 Ft 172.3K

207.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪97.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

86.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₪326

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

5.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.8 ₪205

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

51.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 ₪533

$110 Ft 35.7K

55.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 ₪497

$119 Ft 38.4K

34.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 ₪5,221

$830 Ft 268.3K

102.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 ₪3,451

$622 Ft 200.9K

78.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,338 ₪7,273

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

46.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 ₪5,191

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

42.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,697 ₪27.1K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

49.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,931 ₪27.8K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

129.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.1

6.45

-20.93%

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

Last update for Kiryat Shmona: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kiryat Shmona

$1.1K 38.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 43.9% $487

Groceries & Markets

Kiryat Shmona

$516 17.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 50% $258

Eating Out

Kiryat Shmona

$419 14.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 46.8% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kiryat Shmona

$397 13.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 45.1% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Kiryat Shmona

$226 7.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 25.8% $58

Getting Around

Kiryat Shmona

$121 4.2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 63.5% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Kiryat Shmona

$118 4.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 27.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,678 in Kiryat Shmona versus $830 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Kiryat Shmona versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Kiryat Shmona

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

17:39 5:39 PM

1 h behind Kiryat Shmona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,076

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kiryat Shmona Budapest 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kiryat Shmona
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

Kiryat Shmona vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kiryat Shmona is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,360 per month in Kiryat Shmona and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 250% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,642 per month in Kiryat Shmona and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Kiryat Shmona at $2,907. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kiryat Shmona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kiryat Shmona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.