Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Budapest

For one person, living costs are similar in Monterrey and in Budapest: $1,607 and $1,621 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,607 per month in Monterrey vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Monterrey $1,607
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,512 per month in Monterrey vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Monterrey $2,512
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,417 per month in Monterrey vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Monterrey $3,417
Budapest $3,489

Monterrey is about 1% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Budapest sit above the global median – Monterrey by 20%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$250

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$913

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$203

$9.96 Ft 3,244

11.75%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$73.5

$3.38 Ft 1,102

19.53%

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

$1.70 MX$31.00

$2.13 Ft 693

-20.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.00

$1.87 Ft 609

-47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$43.80

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-35.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$81.6

$3.57 Ft 1,163

25.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$34.98

$1.13 Ft 369

69.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$52.6

$1.84 Ft 600

57.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.34

$2.39 Ft 777

-18.83%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.47

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-34.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$224

$11.33 Ft 3,689

8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$170

$6.74 Ft 2,194

38.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$238

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$61.5

$1.84 Ft 598

83.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$28.75

$2.01 Ft 654

-21.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.07

$2.36 Ft 767

-6.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.48

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-35.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.09

$0.96 Ft 314

135.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$49.89

$1.03 Ft 335

166.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$27.83

$1.56 Ft 509

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$22.94

$0.66 Ft 216

90.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.1

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-39.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$247

$6.01 Ft 1,956

126.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$34.69

$1.30 Ft 422

46.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$55.8

$2.08 Ft 677

47.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.47

$1.50 Ft 490

-46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$578

$27.61 Ft 8,991

15.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.50

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-50.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$19.99

$1.30 Ft 424

-15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$199

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-44.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.68

$1.81 Ft 591

-16.02%

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

$21.4K MX$388.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-27.13%

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

$25.5K MX$463.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-25.33%

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

$120 MX$2,178

$170 Ft 55.3K

-29.55%

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

$27.08 MX$493

$23.98 Ft 7,809

12.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$486

$23.42 Ft 7,628

14.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$567

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-52.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$399

$19.18 Ft 6,245

14.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$93.5

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-46.01%

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

$688 MX$12.5K

$537 Ft 174.8K

28.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$207.9K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-31.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,308

$101 Ft 33.0K

-29.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$788

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

0.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,040

$113 Ft 36.7K

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,216

$119 Ft 38.7K

2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.4K

$805 Ft 262.2K

18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.2K

$629 Ft 204.9K

6.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.3K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$23.7K

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

11.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$75.7K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-25.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.3K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-38.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.6K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-30.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.43

83.36%

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

Last update for Monterrey: 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

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 6.1% $41

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 17.6% $55

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 0.3% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 25.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 7.6% $12

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 3.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 106% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Monterrey 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 43% 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 $50.0 in Monterrey versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $312 in Monterrey vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

05:10 5:10 AM

8 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 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 MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Budapest 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
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

Monterrey vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,411 per month in Monterrey 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 Monterrey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Monterrey and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,607, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – 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 Monterrey. 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.