Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Limassol and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,653 in Limassol, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Limassol
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$2,653
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,653 per month in Limassol vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Limassol $2,653
  • Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,887 per month in Limassol vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Limassol $3,887
  • Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,121 per month in Limassol vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Limassol $5,121
  • Budapest $3,489

Limassol costs about 64% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Limassol and Budapest sit above the global median – Limassol by 98%, Budapest by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.55 €20.12
$13.99 Ft 4,551
61.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.1 €70.6
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
31.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.49 €8.47
$9.96 Ft 3,241
-4.72%
Cappuccino
$3.85 €3.44
$3.38 Ft 1,100
13.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.73
$2.13 Ft 692
-8.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.87 Ft 608
-31.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.45 €4.87
$3.75 Ft 1,221
45.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.65 €5.04
$3.57 Ft 1,162
58.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 €1.74
$1.13 Ft 368
71.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.47 €2.21
$1.84 Ft 599
34.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.17 €2.83
$2.39 Ft 777
32.64%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.25
$3.83 Ft 1,245
24.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.18 €11.76
$11.33 Ft 3,686
16.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.16 €9.07
$6.74 Ft 2,192
50.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.82 €12.34
$14.69 Ft 4,780
-5.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.35 €2.99
$1.84 Ft 597
82.07%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 €2.04
$2.01 Ft 653
13.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 €2.59
$2.36 Ft 767
23.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.82 €3.41
$3.77 Ft 1,226
1.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$0.96 Ft 313
107.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.03 Ft 334
52.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 €1.13
$1.56 Ft 509
-19.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.66 Ft 216
62.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.93 €6.18
$7.96 Ft 2,591
-12.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.09 €8.12
$6.01 Ft 1,954
51.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 €1.63
$1.30 Ft 421
40.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 €2.49
$2.08 Ft 676
34.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.50 Ft 489
45.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$51.3 €45.73
$27.61 Ft 8,982
85.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.13 €9.04
$3.30 Ft 1,074
206.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.30 Ft 424
67.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$66.4 €59.3
$19.78 Ft 6,436
235.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.60
$1.81 Ft 591
-1.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
13.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.4K €28.0K
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
-7.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 €215
$170 Ft 55.3K
41.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.70 €18.47
$23.98 Ft 7,802
-13.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.19 €28.73
$23.42 Ft 7,621
37.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$99.6 €88.9
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
50.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.18 €31.40
$19.18 Ft 6,239
83.42%
Cinema Ticket
$13.26 €11.83
$9.52 Ft 3,098
39.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$688 €614
$537 Ft 174.6K
28.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K €9,544
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
-35.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.5 €88.8
$101 Ft 33.0K
-1.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 €46.23
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
20.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €98.7
$113 Ft 36.7K
-1.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 €103
$119 Ft 38.6K
-3.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,635 €1,459
$805 Ft 262.0K
103.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,415 €1,263
$629 Ft 204.7K
124.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,628 €2,346
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
69.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,104 €1,877
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
80.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,518 €4,924
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
-1.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,241 €3,785
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
6.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Limassol
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,546 €2,272
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
56.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.93
6.43
-38.88%

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

Last update for Limassol: 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
Limassol
$1.4K
Budapest
$629 55.5% $786
Groceries & Markets
Limassol
$329
Budapest
$258 21.7% $71
Eating Out
Limassol
$307
Budapest
$224 26.8% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Limassol
$294
Budapest
$217 26% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Limassol
$170
Budapest
$169 0.3% $0.4
Sport & Entertainment
Limassol
$126
Budapest
$85 32.4% $41
Getting Around
Limassol
$81
Budapest
$43 46.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,635 in Limassol versus $805 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 Limassol, 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 $79.0 in Limassol versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇾 Limassol
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
06:58 6:58 AM
05:58 5:58 AM
1 h behind Limassol
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
101,000
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Limassol Budapest 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Limassol
  • 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
Limassol vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Limassol?
Yes – Limassol is pricier by about 64%, 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 $3,979 per month in Limassol and $2,432 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 86% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Limassol and $537 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 Limassol or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Limassol at $2,653. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Limassol it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Limassol 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, Limassol 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, Limassol makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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