Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $359 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Manzini, Eswatini
Budapest, Hungary
Manzini
🇸🇿 Eswatini
$359
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,647
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $359 per month in Manzini vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Manzini $359
  • Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $383 per month in Manzini vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Manzini $383
  • Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $406 per month in Manzini vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Manzini $406
  • Budapest $3,488

Manzini is about 78% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Manzini sits 73% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$13.63 Ft 4,419
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$60.7 Ft 19.7K
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$10.02 Ft 3,248
-
Cappuccino
-
$3.33 Ft 1,078
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.12 Ft 686
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.80 Ft 583
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.61 Ft 1,169
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.59 Ft 1,163
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 SZL 20.84
$1.12 Ft 362
13.39%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 SZL 14.64
$1.93 Ft 624
-53.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 SZL 28.83
$2.49 Ft 806
-29.72%
Eggs
$1.17 SZL 19.23
$3.94 Ft 1,278
-70.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.14 SZL 118
$11.28 Ft 3,656
-36.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.96 SZL 48.80
$6.73 Ft 2,183
-56.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$1.77 SZL 29.08
$14.44 Ft 4,682
-87.74%
Apples (1kg)
$1.37 SZL 22.58
$1.86 Ft 603
-26.34%
Banana (1kg)
$0.63 SZL 10.35
$2.04 Ft 660
-69.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.76 SZL 12.53
$2.29 Ft 742
-66.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.49 SZL 8.08
$3.99 Ft 1,294
-87.72%
Potato (1kg)
$0.61 SZL 10.07
$0.94 Ft 305
-35.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 SZL 7.63
$1.02 Ft 331
-54.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.40 SZL 6.62
$1.65 Ft 536
-75.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 SZL 10.36
$0.68 Ft 221
-7.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.96 SZL 48.76
$7.81 Ft 2,533
-62.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.32 SZL 54.7
$6.02 Ft 1,952
-44.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 SZL 9.55
$1.29 Ft 419
-55.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 SZL 13.01
$2.02 Ft 656
-60.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 SZL 10.18
$1.50 Ft 485
-58.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.13 Ft 8,792
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.36 Ft 1,088
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.37 Ft 445
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$19.96 Ft 6,468
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 SZL 21.95
$1.86 Ft 604
-28.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.7K SZL 274.4K
$28.5K Ft 9.2M
-41.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.6K SZL 256.4K
$33.4K Ft 10.8M
-53.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.2 SZL 1,188
$178 Ft 57.8K
-59.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.21 SZL 201
$23.58 Ft 7,643
-48.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.64 SZL 488
$24.12 Ft 7,817
22.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$69.7 Ft 22.6K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.03 Ft 5,520
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.65 SZL 60.1
$10.48 Ft 3,397
-65.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$625 Ft 202.6K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$19.6K Ft 6.4M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$102 Ft 33.1K
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$43.41 Ft 14.1K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$110 Ft 35.6K
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$121 Ft 39.1K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$177 SZL 2,916
$845 Ft 274.0K
-79.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$121 SZL 1,997
$638 Ft 206.9K
-81.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,609 Ft 521.5K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,217 Ft 394.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,555 Ft 1.8M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,898 Ft 1.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manzini
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$482 SZL 7,928
$1,724 Ft 559.0K
-72.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10
6.34
57.73%

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

Last update for Manzini: November 2, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Manzini
–
Budapest
$638
Groceries & Markets
Manzini
–
Budapest
$260
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manzini
–
Budapest
$226
Eating Out
Manzini
–
Budapest
$220
Clothing & Footwear
Manzini
–
Budapest
$169
Sport & Entertainment
Manzini
–
Budapest
$91
Getting Around
Manzini
–
Budapest
$43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $177 in Manzini 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 3.6 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know
🇸🇿 Manzini
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
03:42 3:42 AM
02:42 2:42 AM
1 h behind Manzini
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
110,508
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.48 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Manzini Budapest 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Manzini
  • 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
Manzini vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manzini cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 359%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $539 per month in Manzini and $2,471 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $845 in Budapest.
What are total monthly expenses in Manzini and in Budapest?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $359 in Manzini and $1,647 in Budapest. That makes Manzini about 78% cheaper.
How do food prices compare in Manzini and in Budapest?
Groceries cost about 128% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Manzini or in Budapest?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $359, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Manzini or in Budapest?
It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $359 in Manzini to $1,647 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Manzini. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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