Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maebashi and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Maebashi: $1,216 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Maebashi
Learn more

Maebashi Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Maebashi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,216

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,216 per month in Maebashi vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Maebashi $1,216
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,956 per month in Maebashi vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Maebashi $1,956
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,696 per month in Maebashi vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Maebashi $2,696
Budapest $3,429

Maebashi is about 25% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Maebashi sits 10% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ¥694

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-68.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.47 ¥4,972

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-48.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 ¥815

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-49.36%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ¥392

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-23.93%

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

$0.77 ¥122

$2.14 Ft 690

-64.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥96.7

$1.78 Ft 577

-65.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ¥355

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-39.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ¥510

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-14.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥192

$1.15 Ft 371

6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥241

$1.79 Ft 578

-14.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ¥213

$2.49 Ft 804

-45.78%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥258

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-58.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 ¥2,473

$11.10 Ft 3,587

41.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 ¥698

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-33.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 ¥2,679

$14.69 Ft 4,745

15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$8.15 ¥1,288

$1.83 Ft 591

345.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 ¥478

$2.05 Ft 661

47.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 ¥776

$2.37 Ft 765

107.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.65 ¥1,208

$3.90 Ft 1,260

96.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 ¥626

$0.99 Ft 320

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.75 ¥751

$1.00 Ft 322

375.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ¥184

$1.58 Ft 511

-25.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥77.8

$0.67 Ft 216

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥623

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-50.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 ¥1,477

$6.22 Ft 2,009

50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ¥395

$1.27 Ft 411

96.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥327

$2.03 Ft 654

1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 ¥238

$1.52 Ft 490

-0.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.8 ¥8,335

$28.02 Ft 9,053

88.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 ¥502

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-3.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 ¥447

$1.37 Ft 442

106.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.19 ¥4,927

$19.83 Ft 6,406

57.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.82 Ft 589

-41.21%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-28.44%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-54.65%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$171 Ft 55.3K

-31.18%

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

$23.00 ¥3,633

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-2.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.59 ¥4,992

$23.29 Ft 7,526

35.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥8,141

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-23.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.51 ¥4,978

$18.89 Ft 6,104

66.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 ¥1,764

$9.30 Ft 3,004

20.00%

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

$575 ¥90.8K

$533 Ft 172.3K

7.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ¥2.3M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-14.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.39 ¥7,803

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-50.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.13 ¥5,550

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-19.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 ¥9,586

$110 Ft 35.7K

-45.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 ¥15.6K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-16.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 ¥83.6K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.3K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 ¥172.3K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-31.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 ¥117.4K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-36.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,756 ¥593.4K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-35.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,859 ¥293.6K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-52.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,696 ¥267.9K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

2.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

6.45

-68.68%

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

Last update for Maebashi: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maebashi

$343 28.2%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 24.9% $85

Accommodation & Living

Maebashi

$337 27.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 84.5% $285

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maebashi

$172 14.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 26.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Maebashi

$110 9%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 52.6% $58

Eating Out

Maebashi

$104 8.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 115% $119

Getting Around

Maebashi

$76 6.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 41.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Maebashi

$74 6.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 16.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Maebashi 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 3% higher in Maebashi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Maebashi versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Maebashi vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Maebashi

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

09:59 9:59 AM

7 h behind Maebashi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,644

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Maebashi Budapest 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Maebashi
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

Maebashi vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,824 per month in Maebashi 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 Maebashi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Maebashi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $575 per month in Maebashi and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maebashi, where all-in costs run around $1,216, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Maebashi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maebashi – 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 Maebashi. 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.