Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miskolc and Lake Balaton

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Balaton: $1,103 a month against $1,187 in Miskolc, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Miskolc
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Miskolc Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Lake Balaton
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Lake Balaton Living Index

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Miskolc

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,187

/mo nomad

Lake Balaton

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,103

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Miskolc and in Lake Balaton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Miskolc and in Lake Balaton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,187 in Miskolc versus $1,103 in Lake Balaton.

Miskolc $1,187
Lake Balaton $1,103

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Miskolc versus $1,672 in Lake Balaton.

Miskolc $1,827
Lake Balaton $1,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,467 in Miskolc versus $2,241 in Lake Balaton.

Miskolc $2,467
Lake Balaton $2,241

Living in Miskolc is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lake Balaton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miskolc 13% lower, Lake Balaton 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.03 Ft 2,976

$8.70 Ft 2,869

3.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.52 Ft 15.0K

$46.14 Ft 15.2K

-1.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 Ft 3,067

$8.40 Ft 2,771

10.71%

Cappuccino

$2.14 Ft 707

$2.02 Ft 666

5.94%

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

$1.41 Ft 464

$1.35 Ft 445

4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 402

$0.94 Ft 309

29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 Ft 691

$1.90 Ft 626

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 Ft 723

$2.21 Ft 727

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 380

$1.06 Ft 348

8.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 Ft 515

$1.54 Ft 506

1.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 Ft 812

$1.82 Ft 599

35.16%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,286

$2.61 Ft 859

49.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 Ft 3,480

$9.54 Ft 3,144

10.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 Ft 2,346

$5.96 Ft 1,966

19.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 Ft 5,249

$11.80 Ft 3,889

34.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 Ft 726

$1.80 Ft 592

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 Ft 732

$1.96 Ft 647

13.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 Ft 731

$2.00 Ft 658

11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 Ft 1,310

$2.82 Ft 928

40.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 Ft 392

$1.10 Ft 361

8.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 Ft 490

$1.21 Ft 399

23.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 Ft 617

$1.45 Ft 477

28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 Ft 194

$0.52 Ft 172

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.35 Ft 2,422

$6.74 Ft 2,221

9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 Ft 2,000

$5.94 Ft 1,957

2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 Ft 434

$1.03 Ft 339

28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 Ft 875

$1.46 Ft 480

81.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 Ft 442

$1.17 Ft 386

14.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.31 Ft 9,332

$25.01 Ft 8,245

13.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 Ft 927

$2.82 Ft 929

-0.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 Ft 396

$1.13 Ft 371

6.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.46 Ft 4,766

$17.19 Ft 5,669

-15.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 606

$1.76 Ft 581

4.55%

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

$26.8K Ft 8.8M

$26.1K Ft 8.6M

2.75%

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

$34.8K Ft 11.5M

$30.5K Ft 10.0M

14.33%

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

$181 Ft 59.8K

$144 Ft 47.6K

25.75%

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

$21.74 Ft 7,168

$26.23 Ft 8,647

-17.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.65 Ft 6,479

$19.86 Ft 6,549

-1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 Ft 17.4K

$46.36 Ft 15.3K

14.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.00 Ft 4,944

$16.56 Ft 5,460

-9.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 Ft 2,547

$7.26 Ft 2,395

6.34%

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

$357 Ft 117.6K

$295 Ft 97.1K

21.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,226 Ft 3.0M

$6,542 Ft 2.2M

41.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 Ft 18.5K

$70.1 Ft 23.1K

-20.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.09 Ft 9,261

$27.04 Ft 8,915

3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 Ft 23.2K

$71.5 Ft 23.6K

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 Ft 24.5K

$81.2 Ft 26.8K

-8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 Ft 137.8K

$438 Ft 144.5K

-4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 Ft 109.8K

$341 Ft 112.6K

-2.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 Ft 231.8K

$639 Ft 210.8K

9.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Ft 196.5K

$529 Ft 174.3K

12.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,158 Ft 711.4K

$2,968 Ft 978.5K

-27.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,676 Ft 552.4K

$2,314 Ft 763.0K

-27.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,174 Ft 387.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

7.4

1.35%

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

Last update for Miskolc: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lake Balaton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Miskolc

$333 28.1%

Lake Balaton

$341 30.9% 2.5% $8.4

Groceries & Markets

Miskolc

$266 22.4%

Lake Balaton

$218 19.8% 18% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miskolc

$223 18.8%

Lake Balaton

$190 17.3% 14.6% $32

Eating Out

Miskolc

$151 12.7%

Lake Balaton

$142 12.9% 6% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Miskolc

$103 8.7%

Lake Balaton

$112 10.2% 9.3% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Miskolc

$68 5.8%

Lake Balaton

$61 5.5% 10.9% $7.5

Getting Around

Miskolc

$42 3.6%

Lake Balaton

$38 3.5% 10.2% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Miskolc and $438 in Lake Balaton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Miskolc vs $46 in Lake Balaton. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $218, with Lake Balaton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Miskolc

🇭🇺 Lake Balaton

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as Miskolc

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,502

275,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Miskolc vs Lake Balaton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Balaton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,780 in Miskolc and $1,655 in Lake Balaton to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $418 in Miskolc versus $438 in Lake Balaton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Miskolc. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,187 per month in Miskolc versus $1,103 in Lake Balaton – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Lake Balaton gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.