Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ludhiana and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludhiana: $476 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Ludhiana
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Ludhiana Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Ludhiana

🇮🇳 India

$476

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $476 per month in Ludhiana vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

Ludhiana $476
Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $765 per month in Ludhiana vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

Ludhiana $765
Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $1,055 per month in Ludhiana vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

Ludhiana $1,055
Budapest $3,488

Ludhiana is about 71% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ludhiana sits 65% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 ₹328

$13.63 Ft 4,419

-74.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.40 ₹982

$60.7 Ft 19.7K

-82.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.61 ₹341

$10.02 Ft 3,248

-63.97%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₹182

$3.33 Ft 1,078

-42.04%

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

$0.37 ₹34.51

$2.12 Ft 686

-82.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.74

$1.80 Ft 583

-85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 ₹153

$3.61 Ft 1,169

-55.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ₹358

$3.59 Ft 1,163

5.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ₹71.2

$1.12 Ft 362

-33.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₹47.97

$1.93 Ft 624

-73.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 ₹74.9

$2.49 Ft 806

-68.27%

Eggs

$0.87 ₹82.5

$3.94 Ft 1,278

-77.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.91 ₹369

$11.28 Ft 3,656

-65.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 ₹285

$6.73 Ft 2,183

-55.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 Ft 4,682

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ₹201

$1.86 Ft 603

14.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 ₹56.9

$2.04 Ft 660

-70.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 ₹77.1

$2.29 Ft 742

-64.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹33.85

$3.99 Ft 1,294

-90.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.57

$0.94 Ft 305

-69.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 ₹30.48

$1.02 Ft 331

-68.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 ₹37.75

$1.65 Ft 536

-75.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₹33.35

$0.68 Ft 221

-48.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ₹334

$7.81 Ft 2,533

-54.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 ₹1,208

$6.02 Ft 1,952

112.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₹167

$1.29 Ft 419

37.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₹287

$2.02 Ft 656

50.50%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$8.12 ₹767

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 ₹52.5

$1.50 Ft 485

-62.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.97 ₹1,509

$27.13 Ft 8,792

-41.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ₹147

$3.36 Ft 1,088

-53.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₹38.22

$1.37 Ft 445

-70.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 ₹201

$19.96 Ft 6,468

-89.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹105

$1.86 Ft 604

-40.32%

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

$13.3K ₹1.3M

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

-53.52%

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

$22.5K ₹2.1M

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

-32.46%

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

$54.2 ₹5,115

$178 Ft 57.8K

-69.61%

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

$3.20 ₹303

$23.58 Ft 7,643

-86.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.78 ₹546

$24.12 Ft 7,817

-76.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.27 ₹1,443

$69.7 Ft 22.6K

-78.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.61 ₹436

$17.03 Ft 5,520

-72.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.62 ₹342

$10.48 Ft 3,397

-65.46%

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

$71.3 ₹6,740

$625 Ft 202.6K

-88.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 ₹175.0K

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

-90.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.01 ₹2,079

$102 Ft 33.1K

-78.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 ₹3,790

$43.41 Ft 14.1K

-7.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 ₹6,631

$110 Ft 35.6K

-36.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.30 ₹3,429

$121 Ft 39.1K

-69.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₹15.9K

$845 Ft 274.0K

-80.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.1 ₹9,364

$638 Ft 206.9K

-84.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 ₹40.3K

$1,609 Ft 521.5K

-73.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ₹26.4K

$1,217 Ft 394.5K

-77.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$894 ₹84.4K

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

-83.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$688 ₹65.0K

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

-82.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 ₹30.0K

$1,724 Ft 559.0K

-81.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

6.34

44.64%

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

Last update for Ludhiana: October 31, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ludhiana

$113 23.8%

Budapest

$260 15.8% 129% $147

Accommodation & Living

Ludhiana

$99 20.8%

Budapest

$638 38.8% 544% $539

Eating Out

Ludhiana

$80 16.8%

Budapest

$220 13.4% 175% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Ludhiana

$76 16%

Budapest

$169 10.3% 123% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ludhiana

$63 13.3%

Budapest

$226 13.7% 258% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Ludhiana

$23 4.7%

Budapest

$91 5.5% 302% $68

Getting Around

Ludhiana

$22 4.6%

Budapest

$43 2.6% 99% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $168 in Ludhiana versus $845 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 in Budapest are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Ludhiana versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $113 vs $260 – making Ludhiana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Ludhiana

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

06:36 6:36 AM

4 h 30 min behind Ludhiana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,232,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

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Between locations

Ludhiana Budapest 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ludhiana
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

Ludhiana vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 246%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $714 per month in Ludhiana and $2,471 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ludhiana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $168 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Ludhiana. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $71 per month in Ludhiana and $625 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ludhiana, where all-in costs run around $476, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Ludhiana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ludhiana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ludhiana. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.