Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $931 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Manila vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Manila $931
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Manila vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Manila $1,519
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,106 per month in Manila vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Manila $2,106
Budapest $3,489

Manila is about 43% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Manila sits 31% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 ₱353

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-59.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 ₱1,722

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-54.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱248

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-60.34%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$3.38 Ft 1,102

-24.26%

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

$1.42 ₱89.3

$2.13 Ft 693

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₱51.1

$1.87 Ft 609

-56.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.4

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-68.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.57 Ft 1,163

-33.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.13 Ft 369

71.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ₱88.2

$1.84 Ft 600

-23.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.3

$2.39 Ft 777

-57.32%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-40.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ₱494

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-30.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₱307

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-27.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱426

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-53.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱213

$1.84 Ft 598

83.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₱117

$2.01 Ft 654

-7.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₱186

$2.36 Ft 767

25.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-52.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$0.96 Ft 314

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱169

$1.03 Ft 335

161.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₱138

$1.56 Ft 509

41.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.35

$0.66 Ft 216

-10.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₱197

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-60.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 ₱593

$6.01 Ft 1,956

56.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.30 Ft 422

2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.08 Ft 677

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.54

$1.50 Ft 490

-68.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 ₱791

$27.61 Ft 8,991

-54.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.91

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-76.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.47

$1.30 Ft 424

-82.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-90.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.81 Ft 591

-26.52%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-27.24%

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

$19.7K ₱1.2M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-42.28%

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

$121 ₱7,635

$170 Ft 55.3K

-28.56%

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

$16.04 ₱1,009

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-33.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 ₱1,525

$23.42 Ft 7,628

3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 ₱2,732

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-34.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 ₱371

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-69.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ₱417

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-30.36%

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

$613 ₱38.5K

$537 Ft 174.8K

14.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 ₱563.1K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-46.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ₱3,657

$101 Ft 33.0K

-42.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.18 ₱1,709

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-36.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ₱4,875

$113 Ft 36.7K

-31.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,583

$119 Ft 38.7K

-52.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₱33.6K

$805 Ft 262.2K

-33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₱18.0K

$629 Ft 204.9K

-54.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.5K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

23.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₱42.6K

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-41.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,439 ₱279.1K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-21.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,556 ₱160.8K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-35.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₱30.5K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-70.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.43

15.55%

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

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$287 30.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 119% $342

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$221 23.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 16.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$162 17%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 34.4% $56

Eating Out

Manila

$107 11.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 110% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.4%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 71% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 50.4% $29

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 165% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Manila versus $805 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 235% 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 $27.00 in Manila versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $258 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

6 h behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Budapest 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
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

Manila vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,396 per month in Manila and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 119% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $613 per month in Manila and $537 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 Manila, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manila – 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 Manila. 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.