Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton Keynes and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,480 in Milton Keynes, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Milton Keynes
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,480
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,480 per month in Milton Keynes vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Milton Keynes $2,480
  • Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,554 per month in Milton Keynes vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Milton Keynes $3,554
  • Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,628 per month in Milton Keynes vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Milton Keynes $4,628
  • Budapest $3,489

Milton Keynes costs about 53% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Milton Keynes and Budapest sit above the global median – Milton Keynes by 85%, Budapest by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.67 £14.86
$13.99 Ft 4,551
40.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.9 £64.2
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
40.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.74 £8.87
$9.96 Ft 3,241
17.87%
Cappuccino
$4.59 £3.47
$3.38 Ft 1,100
35.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 £1.42
$2.13 Ft 692
-12.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 £0.82
$1.87 Ft 608
-41.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.74 £5.10
$3.75 Ft 1,221
79.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.89 £4.45
$3.57 Ft 1,162
64.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.61 £1.22
$1.13 Ft 368
42.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 £1.14
$1.84 Ft 599
-17.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.74 £2.07
$2.39 Ft 777
14.64%
Eggs
$4.06 £3.07
$3.83 Ft 1,245
6.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.32 £6.29
$11.33 Ft 3,686
-26.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.53 £6.45
$6.74 Ft 2,192
26.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.09 £9.89
$14.69 Ft 4,780
-10.89%
Apples (1kg)
$3.24 £2.45
$1.84 Ft 597
76.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 £1.12
$2.01 Ft 653
-25.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 £1.89
$2.36 Ft 767
5.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 £2.11
$3.77 Ft 1,226
-25.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 £1.42
$0.96 Ft 313
96.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 £1.21
$1.03 Ft 334
55.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 £0.89
$1.56 Ft 509
-24.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 £1.06
$0.66 Ft 216
113.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.37 £17.66
$7.96 Ft 2,591
193.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.23 £6.98
$6.01 Ft 1,954
53.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 £2.04
$1.30 Ft 421
107.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 £1.84
$2.08 Ft 676
17.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 £2.95
$1.50 Ft 489
160.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 £54.5
$27.61 Ft 8,982
161.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.81 £3.64
$3.30 Ft 1,074
45.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 £1.07
$1.30 Ft 424
8.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.47 £17.74
$19.78 Ft 6,436
18.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.00 £1.51
$1.81 Ft 591
10.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.9K
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
30.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.6K
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
18.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$315 £238
$170 Ft 55.3K
85.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.51 £10.97
$23.98 Ft 7,802
-39.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.35 £30.49
$23.42 Ft 7,621
72.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.87 £27.11
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
-45.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.55 £14.77
$19.18 Ft 6,239
1.93%
Cinema Ticket
$23.36 £17.65
$9.52 Ft 3,098
145.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,855 £1,402
$537 Ft 174.6K
245.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.7K £17.2K
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
36.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$115 £86.8
$101 Ft 33.0K
13.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.27 £29.67
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
-8.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.8 £59.5
$113 Ft 36.7K
-30.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.8 £70.9
$119 Ft 38.6K
-20.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,474 £1,114
$805 Ft 262.0K
83.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,231 £930
$629 Ft 204.7K
95.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,394 £1,809
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
54.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,925 £1,455
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
64.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,332 £5,541
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
30.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,149 £4,647
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
54.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Milton Keynes
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,337 £2,522
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
105.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.67
6.43
-27.37%

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

Last update for Milton Keynes: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Milton Keynes
$1.2K
Budapest
$629 48.9% $602
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Milton Keynes
$370
Budapest
$217 41.2% $152
Eating Out
Milton Keynes
$305
Budapest
$224 26.5% $81
Groceries & Markets
Milton Keynes
$282
Budapest
$258 8.6% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Milton Keynes
$147
Budapest
$169 15% $22
Getting Around
Milton Keynes
$100
Budapest
$43 56.4% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Milton Keynes
$83
Budapest
$85 3.2% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,474 in Milton Keynes 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 105% higher in Milton Keynes, 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 $85.0 in Milton Keynes versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $282 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Milton Keynes
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
11:12 11:12 AM
12:12 12:12 PM
1 h ahead of Milton Keynes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
229,941
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Milton Keynes Budapest 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Milton Keynes
  • 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
Milton Keynes vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Milton Keynes?
Yes – Milton Keynes is pricier by about 53%, 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 $3,721 per month in Milton Keynes and $2,432 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 Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 161% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,855 per month in Milton Keynes and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Milton Keynes or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Milton Keynes at $2,480. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milton Keynes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Milton Keynes or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Milton Keynes or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Milton Keynes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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