Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucena and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $646 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Lucena
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Lucena Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Lucena

🇵🇭 Philippines

$646

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $646 per month in Lucena vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Lucena $646
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,041 per month in Lucena vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Lucena $1,041
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,436 per month in Lucena vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Lucena $1,436
Budapest $3,429

Lucena is about 60% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lucena sits 52% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.50 ₱94.4

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-89.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.91 ₱1,191

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-69.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$1.72 ₱108

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-83.12%

Cappuccino

$1.32 ₱83.2

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-59.51%

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

$0.33 ₱20.88

$2.14 Ft 690

-84.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₱18.26

$1.78 Ft 577

-83.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-62.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₱80.9

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-66.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₱105

$1.15 Ft 371

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ₱73.4

$1.79 Ft 578

-34.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱57.6

$2.49 Ft 804

-63.05%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-55.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 ₱429

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-38.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱265

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-36.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.13 ₱449

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-51.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$1.83 Ft 591

120.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱86.0

$2.05 Ft 661

-33.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 ₱225

$2.37 Ft 765

51.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱73.5

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 ₱143

$0.99 Ft 320

129.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.00 Ft 322

230.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₱89.6

$1.58 Ft 511

-10.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.0

$0.67 Ft 216

35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₱173

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-65.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 ₱487

$6.22 Ft 2,009

24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.6

$1.27 Ft 411

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₱111

$2.03 Ft 654

-13.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱14.97

$1.52 Ft 490

-84.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.08 ₱761

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-56.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.0

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-75.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.19

$1.37 Ft 442

-84.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ₱160

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-87.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₱77.6

$1.82 Ft 589

-32.42%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-28.51%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-44.51%

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

$47.89 ₱3,015

$171 Ft 55.3K

-72.01%

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

$6.37 ₱401

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-72.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.06 ₱696

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-52.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.15 ₱2,150

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-49.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.02 ₱253

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-78.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 ₱465

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-20.65%

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

$71.9 ₱4,529

$533 Ft 172.3K

-86.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,515 ₱158.3K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-84.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.78 ₱2,253

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-64.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.69 ₱1,428

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-47.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 ₱5,020

$110 Ft 35.7K

-27.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ₱4,683

$119 Ft 38.4K

-37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.5K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-68.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.7K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-72.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₱32.5K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-67.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-69.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-61.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$921 ₱58.0K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-76.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$320 ₱20.2K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-80.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.53%

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

Last update for Lucena: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lucena

$206 31.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 25.2% $52

Accommodation & Living

Lucena

$170 26.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 267% $452

Clothing & Footwear

Lucena

$96 14.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 75.2% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lucena

$65 10.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 234% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Lucena

$49 7.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 76.1% $37

Eating Out

Lucena

$45 7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 396% $178

Getting Around

Lucena

$15 2.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 197% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $262 in Lucena 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 416% 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 $19.00 in Lucena versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $258 – making Lucena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Lucena

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:24 3:24 AM

21:24 9:24 PM

6 h behind Lucena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,924

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 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 PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lucena Budapest 9,790 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Lucena
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

Lucena vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 151%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $968 per month in Lucena 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 Lucena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 132% less in Lucena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $71.9 per month in Lucena and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lucena, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Lucena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lucena – 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 Lucena. 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.