Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Westminster and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,526 in New Westminster, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,526

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,526 per month in New Westminster vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

New Westminster $2,526
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,900 per month in New Westminster vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

New Westminster $3,900
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $5,273 per month in New Westminster vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

New Westminster $5,273
Budapest $3,429

New Westminster costs about 56% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New Westminster and Budapest sit above the global median – New Westminster by 87%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.28 CA$27.41

$13.94 Ft 4,523

38.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.65 CA$70.6

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

-18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 CA$14.39

$10.19 Ft 3,306

-0.69%

Cappuccino

$3.47 CA$4.93

$3.26 Ft 1,059

6.44%

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

$1.85 CA$2.63

$2.14 Ft 694

-13.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.20

$1.78 Ft 579

-12.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 CA$8.21

$3.71 Ft 1,204

55.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$8.00

$3.77 Ft 1,223

49.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$1.15 Ft 372

53.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 CA$3.32

$1.79 Ft 580

30.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.90

$2.49 Ft 807

38.55%

Eggs

$3.01 CA$4.28

$3.90 Ft 1,266

-22.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.80 CA$15.35

$11.10 Ft 3,604

-2.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.33 CA$21.80

$6.62 Ft 2,149

131.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.67 CA$37.92

$14.69 Ft 4,767

81.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.37

$1.83 Ft 594

106.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$2.05 Ft 664

-27.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.12

$2.37 Ft 769

51.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.20

$3.90 Ft 1,266

-6.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.32

$0.99 Ft 322

135.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CA$3.15

$1.00 Ft 323

121.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CA$3.31

$1.58 Ft 513

47.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.57

$0.67 Ft 217

168.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.33 CA$21.80

$7.96 Ft 2,584

92.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.12

$6.22 Ft 2,018

70.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CA$2.87

$1.27 Ft 413

59.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$2.03 Ft 657

33.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 CA$3.58

$1.52 Ft 492

65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 CA$128

$28.02 Ft 9,095

222.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 CA$2.91

$3.31 Ft 1,075

-38.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 CA$2.44

$1.37 Ft 444

25.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.76 CA$32.35

$19.83 Ft 6,436

14.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.82 Ft 591

-30.77%

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

$23.9K CA$33.9K

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

-19.94%

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

$19.0K CA$27.0K

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

-43.83%

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

$139 CA$197

$171 Ft 55.5K

-18.93%

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

$42.09 CA$59.9

$23.51 Ft 7,631

79.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 CA$89.6

$23.29 Ft 7,560

170.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.42 CA$46.09

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

-51.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.27 CA$24.55

$18.89 Ft 6,133

-8.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 CA$16.97

$9.30 Ft 3,018

28.39%

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

$758 CA$1,078

$533 Ft 173.1K

42.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,536 CA$12.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-49.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$74.3

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

-47.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 CA$59.4

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

-3.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 CA$110

$110 Ft 35.8K

-29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 CA$137

$119 Ft 38.6K

-18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 CA$2,201

$830 Ft 269.6K

86.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 CA$1,876

$622 Ft 201.9K

112.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,841 CA$4,039

$1,594 Ft 517.2K

78.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,620 CA$3,725

$1,170 Ft 379.9K

123.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,810 CA$6,839

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-17.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,025 CA$5,723

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

3.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 CA$4,250

$1,651 Ft 535.9K

81.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

6.45

-26.82%

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

Last update for New Westminster: 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

New Westminster

$1.3K 52.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 52.9% $697

Groceries & Markets

New Westminster

$396 15.7%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 34.8% $138

Eating Out

New Westminster

$280 11.1%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 20.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Westminster

$244 9.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 10.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

New Westminster

$121 4.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 38.9% $47

Getting Around

New Westminster

$111 4.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 60.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

New Westminster

$56 2.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 53% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,548 in New Westminster 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.

Salaries run about 81% higher in New Westminster, 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 New Westminster versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $396 in New Westminster vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

02:35 2:35 AM

9 h ahead of New Westminster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New Westminster Budapest 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

New Westminster
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New Westminster vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New Westminster is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,790 per month in New Westminster 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 Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 222% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $758 per month in New Westminster and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in New Westminster at $2,526. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Westminster it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Westminster makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.