Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nottingham and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,301 in Nottingham, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nottingham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,301
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,301 per month in Nottingham vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Nottingham $2,301
  • Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,351 per month in Nottingham vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Nottingham $3,351
  • Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,401 per month in Nottingham vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Nottingham $4,401
  • Budapest $3,489

Nottingham costs about 42% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nottingham and Budapest sit above the global median – Nottingham by 72%, Budapest by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.68 £14.87
$13.99 Ft 4,551
40.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.5 £58.6
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
28.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.46 £7.90
$9.96 Ft 3,241
5.02%
Cappuccino
$4.66 £3.52
$3.38 Ft 1,100
37.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 £1.78
$2.13 Ft 692
10.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 £1.32
$1.87 Ft 608
-6.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.71 £5.07
$3.75 Ft 1,221
78.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.78 £5.12
$3.57 Ft 1,162
89.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 £1.39
$1.13 Ft 368
62.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 £1.12
$1.84 Ft 599
-19.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 £1.71
$2.39 Ft 777
-5.44%
Eggs
$4.87 £3.68
$3.83 Ft 1,245
27.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.39 £6.34
$11.33 Ft 3,686
-25.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.01 £6.81
$6.74 Ft 2,192
33.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.00 £11.33
$14.69 Ft 4,780
2.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.91 £2.20
$1.84 Ft 597
58.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 £1.34
$2.01 Ft 653
-11.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.59 £2.71
$2.36 Ft 767
52.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.55 £2.69
$3.77 Ft 1,226
-5.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 £1.58
$0.96 Ft 313
117.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.98 £1.50
$1.03 Ft 334
92.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 £0.97
$1.56 Ft 509
-17.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 £1.33
$0.66 Ft 216
166.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.24 £16.80
$7.96 Ft 2,591
179.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.30 £10.05
$6.01 Ft 1,954
121.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.46 £2.62
$1.30 Ft 421
166.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.35 £4.04
$2.08 Ft 676
157.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 £2.95
$1.50 Ft 489
160.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 £80.3
$27.61 Ft 8,982
285.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 £2.02
$3.30 Ft 1,074
-19.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 £1.10
$1.30 Ft 424
12.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.62 £18.61
$19.78 Ft 6,436
24.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.61
$1.81 Ft 591
17.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.6K £28.4K
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
28.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £30.2K
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
17.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$292 £221
$170 Ft 55.3K
71.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.68 £14.87
$23.98 Ft 7,802
-17.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.46 £31.33
$23.42 Ft 7,621
77.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.18 £31.87
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
-36.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.66 £15.61
$19.18 Ft 6,239
7.72%
Cinema Ticket
$15.55 £11.75
$9.52 Ft 3,098
63.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,790 £1,353
$537 Ft 174.6K
233.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.6K £20.9K
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
66.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.5 £65.4
$101 Ft 33.0K
-14.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.9 £45.24
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
39.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 £80.9
$113 Ft 36.7K
-5.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 £79.6
$119 Ft 38.6K
-11.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,200 £907
$805 Ft 262.0K
49.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$964 £728
$629 Ft 204.7K
53.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 £1,496
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
27.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,394 £1,054
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
19.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,048 £3,059
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
-27.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,673 £3,531
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
17.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nottingham
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,128 £2,364
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
92.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.09
6.43
-20.84%

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

Last update for Nottingham: 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
Nottingham
$964
Budapest
$629 34.7% $335
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nottingham
$353
Budapest
$217 38.4% $136
Groceries & Markets
Nottingham
$325
Budapest
$258 20.8% $68
Eating Out
Nottingham
$308
Budapest
$224 27.2% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Nottingham
$161
Budapest
$169 4.8% $7.7
Getting Around
Nottingham
$132
Budapest
$43 67.1% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Nottingham
$73
Budapest
$85 16.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,200 in Nottingham 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 92% higher in Nottingham, 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 $77.0 in Nottingham versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Nottingham
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
08:01 8:01 AM
09:01 9:01 AM
1 h ahead of Nottingham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
305,700
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 = 0.848 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
  • Nottingham Budapest 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nottingham
  • 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
Nottingham vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Nottingham?
Yes – Nottingham is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,452 per month in Nottingham 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 285% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,790 per month in Nottingham 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 Nottingham or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Nottingham at $2,301. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nottingham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nottingham 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, Nottingham 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, Nottingham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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