Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lewes and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,349 in Lewes, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lewes
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,349
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,349 per month in Lewes vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Lewes $2,349
  • Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,484 per month in Lewes vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Lewes $3,484
  • Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,619 per month in Lewes vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Lewes $4,619
  • Budapest $3,429

Lewes costs about 45% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lewes and Budapest sit above the global median – Lewes by 74%, Budapest by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.91 £18.69
$13.94 Ft 4,503
78.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.0 £69.8
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
51.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.03 £7.52
$10.19 Ft 3,291
-1.57%
Cappuccino
$4.82 £3.61
$3.26 Ft 1,055
47.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 £2.22
$2.14 Ft 690
38.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 £2.01
$1.78 Ft 577
50.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.74 £6.56
$3.71 Ft 1,198
135.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.40 £4.80
$3.77 Ft 1,217
69.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 £1.06
$1.15 Ft 371
23.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 £1.32
$1.79 Ft 578
-1.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 £1.59
$2.49 Ft 804
-15.26%
Eggs
$3.69 £2.77
$3.90 Ft 1,261
-5.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 £8.23
$11.10 Ft 3,587
-1.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.33 £6.25
$6.62 Ft 2,139
25.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.62 £9.46
$14.69 Ft 4,745
-14.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.86 £2.15
$1.83 Ft 591
56.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 £1.15
$2.05 Ft 661
-25.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.76 £2.07
$2.37 Ft 765
16.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.25 £2.43
$3.90 Ft 1,260
-16.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 £1.19
$0.99 Ft 320
60.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.00 Ft 322
35.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 £0.70
$1.58 Ft 511
-40.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 £1.11
$0.67 Ft 216
120.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.53 £17.65
$7.96 Ft 2,572
195.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.12 £8.34
$6.22 Ft 2,009
78.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 £1.72
$1.27 Ft 411
80.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 £2.37
$2.03 Ft 654
55.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.33 £2.50
$1.52 Ft 490
119.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.5 £72.4
$28.02 Ft 9,053
244.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.87 £3.66
$3.31 Ft 1,070
47.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.58 £1.94
$1.37 Ft 442
88.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.61 £16.96
$19.83 Ft 6,406
14.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 £1.55
$1.82 Ft 589
13.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.7K
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
28.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
21.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$279 £210
$171 Ft 55.3K
63.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.87 £12.66
$23.51 Ft 7,596
-28.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.59 £34.20
$23.29 Ft 7,526
95.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.22 £33.92
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
-33.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.98 £9.74
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-31.29%
Cinema Ticket
$12.96 £9.72
$9.30 Ft 3,004
39.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,757 £1,318
$533 Ft 172.3K
229.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.2K £21.9K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
74.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.3 £56.5
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
-24.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.73 £33.55
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
2.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 £77.8
$110 Ft 35.7K
-5.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.5 £66.4
$119 Ft 38.4K
-25.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,232 £924
$830 Ft 268.3K
48.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 £761
$622 Ft 200.9K
63.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,123 £1,593
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
33.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,664 £1,248
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
42.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,103 £3,828
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-12.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,930 £2,948
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
1.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lewes
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,554 £3,416
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
175.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
6.45
-22.48%

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

Last update for Lewes: 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
Lewes
$1K
Budapest
$622 38.7% $392
Eating Out
Lewes
$366
Budapest
$223 39.1% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lewes
$342
Budapest
$218 36.3% $124
Groceries & Markets
Lewes
$287
Budapest
$258 10.2% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Lewes
$141
Budapest
$168 19.3% $27
Getting Around
Lewes
$128
Budapest
$44 65.3% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Lewes
$71
Budapest
$86 21.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,232 in Lewes 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.

Salaries run about 176% higher in Lewes, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93.0 in Lewes versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Lewes
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
08:25 8:25 AM
09:25 9:25 AM
1 h ahead of Lewes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,297
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lewes Budapest 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lewes
  • 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
Lewes vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Lewes?
Yes – Lewes is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,523 per month in Lewes and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 245% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,757 per month in Lewes and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Lewes or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Lewes at $2,349. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lewes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lewes or Budapest more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Lewes or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lewes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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