Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat Hamad and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Madinat Hamad: $1,199 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Madinat Hamad
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Madinat Hamad Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Madinat Hamad

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,199

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,199 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,199
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $1,913
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,626 per month in Madinat Hamad vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Madinat Hamad $2,626
Budapest $3,429

Madinat Hamad is about 26% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Madinat Hamad sits 11% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 BHD 0.99

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-81.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 BHD 20.02

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-13.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 BHD 2.76

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-28.36%

Cappuccino

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-20.25%

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

$0.90 BHD 0.34

$2.14 Ft 690

-57.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 BHD 0.11

$1.78 Ft 577

-83.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 BHD 2.44

$3.71 Ft 1,198

74.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 BHD 3.70

$3.77 Ft 1,217

160.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 BHD 0.53

$1.15 Ft 371

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 BHD 0.39

$1.79 Ft 578

-41.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 BHD 0.90

$2.49 Ft 804

-4.42%

Eggs

$2.06 BHD 0.78

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-47.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 BHD 3.24

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-22.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 BHD 2.41

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 BHD 3.28

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-40.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 BHD 0.82

$1.83 Ft 591

18.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 BHD 0.58

$2.05 Ft 661

-24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 BHD 0.73

$2.37 Ft 765

-18.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 BHD 0.50

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-65.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$0.99 Ft 320

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 BHD 0.41

$1.00 Ft 322

9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 BHD 0.59

$1.58 Ft 511

-1.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$0.67 Ft 216

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 BHD 2.02

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-32.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 BHD 6.96

$6.22 Ft 2,009

196.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 BHD 1.39

$1.27 Ft 411

188.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 BHD 0.97

$2.03 Ft 654

27.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 BHD 0.24

$1.52 Ft 490

-58.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.67 BHD 13.09

$28.02 Ft 9,053

23.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 BHD 2.02

$3.31 Ft 1,070

61.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$1.37 Ft 442

89.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.62 BHD 5.90

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-21.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 BHD 0.15

$1.82 Ft 589

-78.57%

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

$37.6K BHD 14.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

26.28%

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

$20.7K BHD 7,822

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-38.70%

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

$155 BHD 58.4

$171 Ft 55.3K

-9.57%

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

$24.29 BHD 9.17

$23.51 Ft 7,596

3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.20 BHD 6.87

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-21.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$119 BHD 45.06

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

76.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.4 BHD 19.76

$18.89 Ft 6,104

177.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 BHD 1.95

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-44.52%

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

$489 BHD 185

$533 Ft 172.3K

-8.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K BHD 4,170

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-34.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 BHD 18.90

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-49.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 BHD 22.09

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

34.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 BHD 33.53

$110 Ft 35.7K

-19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 BHD 33.54

$119 Ft 38.4K

-25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 BHD 150

$830 Ft 268.3K

-52.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 BHD 120

$622 Ft 200.9K

-48.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 BHD 304

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-49.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 BHD 251

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-43.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 BHD 252

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-59.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

6.45

-3.72%

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

Last update for Madinat Hamad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madinat Hamad

$318 26.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 95.7% $304

Groceries & Markets

Madinat Hamad

$239 19.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madinat Hamad

$197 16.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 10.5% $21

Eating Out

Madinat Hamad

$131 10.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 70.5% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Madinat Hamad

$130 10.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 33.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Madinat Hamad

$129 10.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 30.1% $39

Getting Around

Madinat Hamad

$56 4.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 20.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $398 in Madinat Hamad 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 147% 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 $53.0 in Madinat Hamad versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $258 – making Madinat Hamad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Madinat Hamad

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

14:20 2:20 PM

1 h behind Madinat Hamad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,350

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Madinat Hamad Budapest 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Madinat Hamad
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

Madinat Hamad vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,798 per month in Madinat Hamad 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 Madinat Hamad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Madinat Hamad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $489 per month in Madinat Hamad 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 Madinat Hamad, where all-in costs run around $1,199, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Madinat Hamad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Madinat Hamad – 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 Madinat Hamad. 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.