Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ludza and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludza: $955 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ludza
🇱🇻 Latvia
$955
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $955 per month in Ludza vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Ludza $955
  • Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,505 per month in Ludza vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Ludza $1,505
  • Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,055 per month in Ludza vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Ludza $2,055
  • Budapest $3,483

Ludza is about 42% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Ludza sits 30% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.89 €7.02
$14.04 Ft 4,536
-43.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$60.9 Ft 19.7K
12.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.45 €8.40
$10.37 Ft 3,351
-8.87%
Cappuccino
$3.62 €3.22
$3.46 Ft 1,117
4.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 €1.40
$2.07 Ft 669
-23.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.77 Ft 572
-35.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.53 €4.91
$3.69 Ft 1,191
49.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.12 €4.55
$3.80 Ft 1,229
34.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.16 Ft 374
3.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 €1.33
$1.85 Ft 598
-18.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.41 €2.14
$2.40 Ft 776
0.42%
Eggs
$3.73 €3.32
$3.99 Ft 1,289
-6.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.67 €9.49
$11.40 Ft 3,683
-6.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.72 €7.76
$6.87 Ft 2,221
26.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 €12.44
$14.49 Ft 4,682
-3.52%
Apples (1kg)
$0.67 €0.60
$1.88 Ft 607
-64.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 €1.29
$2.14 Ft 693
-32.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 €1.59
$2.30 Ft 744
-22.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 €2.88
$4.04 Ft 1,304
-19.80%
Potato (1kg)
$0.83 €0.74
$1.02 Ft 329
-18.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.90 €0.80
$0.99 Ft 320
-9.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.58 Ft 510
6.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 €0.80
$0.70 Ft 225
28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.78 €6.03
$8.03 Ft 2,594
-15.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.92 €7.04
$6.18 Ft 1,997
28.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.24 Ft 401
58.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.06 Ft 666
0.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.59 Ft 513
43.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.52 Ft 8,893
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.32 €2.95
$3.43 Ft 1,110
-3.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 €0.90
$1.33 Ft 431
-24.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.39 €15.47
$20.45 Ft 6,607
-14.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.93 Ft 624
-3.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$29.1K Ft 9.4M
-6.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.7K €27.3K
$34.7K Ft 11.2M
-11.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$285 €253
$175 Ft 56.4K
63.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.76 €17.57
$23.62 Ft 7,631
-16.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.92 €17.72
$23.60 Ft 7,625
-15.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$68.8 Ft 22.2K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.26 Ft 6,224
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.29 €10.04
$10.31 Ft 3,333
9.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$675 €601
$535 Ft 172.9K
26.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K €16.0K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
6.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.0 €61.4
$99.9 Ft 32.3K
-30.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.26 €43.82
$43.27 Ft 14.0K
13.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.6 €69.0
$112 Ft 36.1K
-30.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 €124
$119 Ft 38.4K
17.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$832 Ft 268.8K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$629 Ft 203.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,586 Ft 512.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,197 Ft 386.6K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,718 Ft 1.8M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,947 Ft 1.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ludza
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$620 €551
$1,712 Ft 553.1K
-63.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
6.45
-26.05%

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

Last update for Ludza: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ludza
$324
Budapest
$222 31.6% $103
Groceries & Markets
Ludza
$256
Budapest
$262 2.2% $5.7
Eating Out
Ludza
$184
Budapest
$226 23.2% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Ludza
$151
Budapest
$168 11.5% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Ludza
$23 *
Budapest
$89 296% $67
Getting Around
Ludza
$18 *
Budapest
$44 151% $26
Accommodation & Living
Ludza
- *
Budapest
$629

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 176% 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 Ludza versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $256 in Ludza vs $262 in Budapest – so Ludza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇱🇻 Ludza
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
17:34 5:34 PM
16:34 4:34 PM
1 h behind Ludza
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,500
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Ludza Budapest 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ludza
  • 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
Ludza vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Ludza?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,433 per month in Ludza and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Ludza or in Budapest?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ludza and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Ludza and in Budapest?
Groceries cost about 2% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ludza or in Budapest?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ludza, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Ludza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ludza or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ludza – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ludza 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 Ludza. 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.

Ludza vs other spots: cost of living compared

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