Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Matamoros: $1,090 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Matamoros
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Matamoros Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Matamoros

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,090

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,090 per month in Matamoros vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Matamoros $1,090
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,832 per month in Matamoros vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Matamoros $1,832
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,573 per month in Matamoros vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Matamoros $2,573
Budapest $3,429

Matamoros is about 33% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Matamoros sits 19% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 MX$229

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-11.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.67 MX$696

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-38.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 MX$167

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-11.09%

Cappuccino

$3.29 MX$60.8

$3.26 Ft 1,055

0.92%

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

$1.47 MX$27.18

$2.14 Ft 690

-31.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$19.40

$1.78 Ft 577

-41.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 MX$41.81

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.8

$3.77 Ft 1,217

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$30.12

$1.15 Ft 371

41.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 MX$44.43

$1.79 Ft 578

34.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$31.43

$2.49 Ft 804

-31.73%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$47.54

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 MX$167

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-18.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 MX$144

$6.62 Ft 2,139

18.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-20.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$49.81

$1.83 Ft 591

47.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.92

$2.05 Ft 661

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.82

$2.37 Ft 765

-29.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.92

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-47.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$40.01

$0.99 Ft 320

119.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 MX$38.70

$1.00 Ft 322

109.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$29.73

$1.58 Ft 511

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.48

$0.67 Ft 216

82.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.72 MX$87.2

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-40.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 MX$199

$6.22 Ft 2,009

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$37.32

$1.27 Ft 411

59.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$58.8

$2.03 Ft 654

56.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$12.03

$1.52 Ft 490

-57.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 MX$50.0

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-18.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 MX$41.49

$1.37 Ft 442

64.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.47 MX$212

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-42.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$24.72

$1.82 Ft 589

-26.37%

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

$23.5K MX$435.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-21.00%

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

$23.9K MX$441.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-29.36%

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

$56.2 MX$1,038

$171 Ft 55.3K

-67.19%

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

$25.44 MX$470

$23.51 Ft 7,596

8.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.61 MX$492

$23.29 Ft 7,526

14.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.88 MX$608

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-51.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 MX$414

$18.89 Ft 6,104

18.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MX$82.7

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-51.83%

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

$223 MX$4,114

$533 Ft 172.3K

-58.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,650 MX$85.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-72.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 MX$986

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-46.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.50 MX$711

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-11.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 MX$1,832

$110 Ft 35.7K

-10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MX$1,467

$119 Ft 38.4K

-33.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.9K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 MX$6,220

$622 Ft 200.9K

-45.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 MX$16.7K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-43.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 MX$15.3K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-29.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 MX$37.7K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-65.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,054 MX$19.5K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-72.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.45

75.19%

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

Last update for Matamoros: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Matamoros

$337 30.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 84.8% $285

Groceries & Markets

Matamoros

$269 24.7%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 4.2% $11

Eating Out

Matamoros

$196 18%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 13.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Matamoros

$122 11.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 37.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matamoros

$108 9.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 101% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Matamoros

$42 3.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 106% $44

Getting Around

Matamoros

$17 * 1.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 168% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $646 in Matamoros 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Matamoros versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Matamoros vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Matamoros

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

05:37 5:37 AM

7 h ahead of Matamoros

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

510,739

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 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 MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Matamoros Budapest 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Matamoros
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

Matamoros vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,635 per month in Matamoros 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 Matamoros, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Matamoros and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matamoros, where all-in costs run around $1,090, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Matamoros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matamoros – 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 Matamoros. 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.