Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Liepaja and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Liepaja: $1,284 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Liepaja
🇱🇻 Latvia
$1,284
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,284 per month in Liepaja vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Liepaja $1,284
  • Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Liepaja vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Liepaja $2,006
  • Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,728 per month in Liepaja vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Liepaja $2,728
  • Budapest $3,429

Liepaja is about 21% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Liepaja sits 5% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.98 €9.77
$13.94 Ft 4,503
-21.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.9 €60.4
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
10.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.09 €8.08
$10.19 Ft 3,291
-10.79%
Cappuccino
$2.83 €2.52
$3.26 Ft 1,055
-13.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 €1.41
$2.14 Ft 690
-25.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.78 Ft 577
-35.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.57
$3.71 Ft 1,198
8.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.94
$3.77 Ft 1,217
-42.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.15 Ft 371
-0.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.79 Ft 578
-16.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.41 €2.15
$2.49 Ft 804
-3.21%
Eggs
$3.60 €3.20
$3.90 Ft 1,261
-7.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.44 €9.29
$11.10 Ft 3,587
-5.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.46 €7.53
$6.62 Ft 2,139
27.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.61 €12.10
$14.69 Ft 4,745
-7.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.83 Ft 591
12.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.05 Ft 661
-15.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.45 €2.18
$2.37 Ft 765
3.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.90 Ft 1,260
-42.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 €0.78
$0.99 Ft 320
-12.12%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 €0.79
$1.00 Ft 322
-11.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 €1.50
$1.58 Ft 511
6.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 €0.88
$0.67 Ft 216
47.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.28 €5.58
$7.96 Ft 2,572
-21.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.59 €5.86
$6.22 Ft 2,009
5.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.27 Ft 411
59.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.79
$2.03 Ft 654
-0.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.62 €1.44
$1.52 Ft 490
6.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.95 €29.31
$28.02 Ft 9,053
17.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.96 €1.74
$3.31 Ft 1,070
-40.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 €0.88
$1.37 Ft 442
-27.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.56 €15.62
$19.83 Ft 6,406
-11.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 €1.61
$1.82 Ft 589
-0.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K €24.6K
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
-7.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9K €27.5K
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
-8.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$304 €270
$171 Ft 55.3K
77.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.66 €14.82
$23.51 Ft 7,596
-29.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.83 €17.64
$23.29 Ft 7,526
-14.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.5 €49.33
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
-17.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.23 €11.77
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-29.96%
Cinema Ticket
$8.76 €7.79
$9.30 Ft 3,004
-5.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$171 €152
$533 Ft 172.3K
-68.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.0K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
7.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 €60.9
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
-31.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.59 €44.11
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
14.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 €75.7
$110 Ft 35.7K
-22.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 €124
$119 Ft 38.4K
16.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$314 €279
$830 Ft 268.3K
-62.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$229 €204
$622 Ft 200.9K
-63.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$630 €560
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
-60.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$469 €417
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
-59.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,493 €1,328
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-74.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,116 €993
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-71.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Liepaja
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,097 €976
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
-33.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.2
6.45
-34.88%

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

Last update for Liepaja: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Liepaja
$340
Budapest
$218 35.9% $122
Groceries & Markets
Liepaja
$257
Budapest
$258 0.4% $1
Accommodation & Living
Liepaja
$229
Budapest
$622 171% $393
Eating Out
Liepaja
$184
Budapest
$223 20.9% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Liepaja
$154
Budapest
$168 8.9% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Liepaja
$73
Budapest
$86 18% $13
Getting Around
Liepaja
$46
Budapest
$44 4.6% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $314 in Liepaja 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 51% higher in Budapest, 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 $68.0 in Liepaja versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Liepaja vs $258 in Budapest – so Liepaja wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇱🇻 Liepaja
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
23:45 11:45 PM
22:45 10:45 PM
1 h behind Liepaja
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
78,787
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Liepaja Budapest 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Liepaja
  • 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
Liepaja vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Liepaja?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,926 per month in Liepaja 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 Liepaja, 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 18% less in Liepaja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $171 per month in Liepaja and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Liepaja or in Budapest?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Liepaja, where all-in costs run around $1,284, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Liepaja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Liepaja or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Liepaja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Liepaja 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 Liepaja. 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.

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