Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,596 in Newcastle, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,596

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,596 per month in Newcastle vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Newcastle $2,596
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,812 per month in Newcastle vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Newcastle $3,812
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,028 per month in Newcastle vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Newcastle $5,028
Budapest $3,489

Newcastle costs about 60% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Newcastle and Budapest sit above the global median – Newcastle by 94%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.06 A$30.14

$13.99 Ft 4,551

50.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$151

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

74.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 A$14.67

$9.96 Ft 3,241

2.91%

Cappuccino

$3.72 A$5.33

$3.38 Ft 1,100

10.06%

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

$3.17 A$4.54

$2.13 Ft 692

48.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 A$2.55

$1.87 Ft 608

-4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.01 A$12.90

$3.75 Ft 1,221

140.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 A$10.14

$3.57 Ft 1,162

98.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.13 Ft 368

30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.75

$1.84 Ft 599

42.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.76

$2.39 Ft 777

-19.25%

Eggs

$4.81 A$6.88

$3.83 Ft 1,245

25.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 A$14.99

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-7.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 A$12.47

$6.74 Ft 2,192

29.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 A$22.47

$14.69 Ft 4,780

6.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.92

$1.84 Ft 597

86.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.27

$2.01 Ft 653

48.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.35

$2.36 Ft 767

28.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 A$6.42

$3.77 Ft 1,226

18.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.15

$0.96 Ft 313

202.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.49

$1.03 Ft 334

136.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.47

$1.56 Ft 509

55.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$0.66 Ft 216

112.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.12 A$44.53

$7.96 Ft 2,591

290.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 A$14.94

$6.01 Ft 1,954

73.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 A$6.27

$1.30 Ft 421

236.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 A$4.86

$2.08 Ft 676

62.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.09

$1.50 Ft 489

90.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$221

$27.61 Ft 8,982

458.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 A$3.40

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-28.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.32

$1.30 Ft 424

24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.64 A$58.2

$19.78 Ft 6,436

105.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.76

$1.81 Ft 591

-32.04%

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

$30.5K A$43.6K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

3.84%

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

$29.9K A$42.8K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-12.22%

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

$219 A$314

$170 Ft 55.3K

29.12%

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

$26.03 A$37.25

$23.98 Ft 7,802

8.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$80.5

$23.42 Ft 7,621

140.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.81 A$62.7

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-33.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.18 A$26.02

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-5.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 A$20.23

$9.52 Ft 3,098

48.42%

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

$2,195 A$3,142

$537 Ft 174.6K

309.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-20.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 A$117

$101 Ft 33.0K

-19.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.51 A$66.6

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$170

$113 Ft 36.7K

5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 A$164

$119 Ft 38.6K

-3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 A$2,200

$805 Ft 262.0K

90.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 A$1,677

$629 Ft 204.7K

86.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

62.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 A$2,639

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

57.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K A$19.3K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

139.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,706 A$8,165

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

43.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,067 A$4,389

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

88.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.43

1.87%

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

Last update for Newcastle: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newcastle

$1.2K 45.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 46.3% $543

Groceries & Markets

Newcastle

$349 13.7%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 26.2% $92

Eating Out

Newcastle

$323 12.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 30.6% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newcastle

$302 11.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 28% $84

Getting Around

Newcastle

$176 6.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 75.3% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Newcastle

$163 6.4%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 3.8% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Newcastle

$72 2.8%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 18.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,538 in Newcastle 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 89% higher in Newcastle, 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 $105 in Newcastle versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

18:20 6:20 PM

09:20 9:20 AM

9 h behind Newcastle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

508,437

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Newcastle Budapest 15,760 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Newcastle
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

Newcastle vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Newcastle is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,893 per month in Newcastle 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 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 458% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,195 per month in Newcastle and $537 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 $1,621, than in Newcastle at $2,596. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newcastle 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, Newcastle makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.