Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
Learn more

Lome Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $557 per month in Lome vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Lome $557
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $980 per month in Lome vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Lome $980
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,404 per month in Lome vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Lome $1,404
Budapest $3,489

Lome is about 66% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Lome sits 58% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-78.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-49.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-43.37%

Cappuccino

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

$3.38 Ft 1,100

67.16%

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

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

$2.13 Ft 692

98.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 F CFA 407

$1.87 Ft 608

-62.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 F CFA 560

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-74.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-51.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

$1.13 Ft 368

96.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 F CFA 795

$1.84 Ft 599

-26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 F CFA 872

$2.39 Ft 777

-37.66%

Eggs

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-46.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-61.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

$1.84 Ft 597

58.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 976

$2.01 Ft 653

-16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-32.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

$0.96 Ft 313

82.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 F CFA 692

$1.03 Ft 334

14.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 F CFA 487

$0.66 Ft 216

25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

$6.01 Ft 1,954

-19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 F CFA 640

$1.30 Ft 421

-16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 F CFA 820

$2.08 Ft 676

-32.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 F CFA 714

$1.30 Ft 424

-6.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-78.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 F CFA 720

$1.81 Ft 591

-32.04%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$146 F CFA 85.6K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-13.95%

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

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-11.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

79.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-8.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-54.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-55.67%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-22.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 F CFA 172.2K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-74.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$295 F CFA 172.7K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-81.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Lome: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lome

$210 37.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 3.6% $7.6

Groceries & Markets

Lome

$140 * 25%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 84% $118

Eating Out

Lome

$136 24.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 64.7% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Lome

$69 12.3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 23.7% $16

Getting Around

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 612% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Lome

- * 0%

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Accommodation & Living

Lome

- * 0%

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 451% 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 $31.00 in Lome versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $140 vs $258 – making Lome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇬 Lome

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

2 h ahead of Lome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

837,437 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

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).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lome Budapest 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lome
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

Lome vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 191%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $836 per month in Lome and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Lome and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lome, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Lome it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lome – 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 Lome. 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.