Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,892 in Oulu, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. The total is higher in Oulu despite lower rent and utilities.

91

Cost of Living Index in Oulu
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Oulu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Oulu

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,892

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,892 per month in Oulu vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Oulu $1,892
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,931 per month in Oulu vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Oulu $2,931
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,971 per month in Oulu vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Oulu $3,971
Budapest $3,489

Oulu costs about 17% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Oulu and Budapest sit above the global median – Oulu by 41%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.69

$13.99 Ft 4,551

25.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €78.6

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

46.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 €13.45

$9.96 Ft 3,241

51.31%

Cappuccino

$5.05 €4.51

$3.38 Ft 1,100

49.41%

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

$2.91 €2.60

$2.13 Ft 692

36.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.87 Ft 608

20.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 €7.09

$3.75 Ft 1,221

111.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 €7.12

$3.57 Ft 1,162

123.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.13 Ft 368

7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.84 Ft 599

20.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$2.39 Ft 777

12.97%

Eggs

$3.27 €2.92

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 €6.63

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-34.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.52 €12.06

$6.74 Ft 2,192

100.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.04 €20.56

$14.69 Ft 4,780

56.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.84 Ft 597

20.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.73

$2.01 Ft 653

-3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.36 Ft 767

-10.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 €3.74

$3.77 Ft 1,226

11.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.89

$0.96 Ft 313

3.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.03 Ft 334

59.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 €2.32

$1.56 Ft 509

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$0.66 Ft 216

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.90

$7.96 Ft 2,591

67.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.38 €11.05

$6.01 Ft 1,954

105.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.24

$1.30 Ft 421

179.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.75

$2.08 Ft 676

48.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.90 €2.59

$1.50 Ft 489

93.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 €56.9

$27.61 Ft 8,982

130.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 €8.29

$3.30 Ft 1,074

181.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.30 Ft 424

29.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.5 €49.51

$19.78 Ft 6,436

180.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €2.00

$1.81 Ft 591

23.76%

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

$37.3K €33.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

27.16%

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

$36.9K €32.9K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

8.14%

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

$119 €107

$170 Ft 55.3K

-29.69%

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

$25.55 €22.80

$23.98 Ft 7,802

6.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 €19.09

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-8.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.59 €31.76

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-46.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.16 €17.09

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-0.10%

Cinema Ticket

$17.46 €15.58

$9.52 Ft 3,098

83.40%

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

$360 €321

$537 Ft 174.6K

-32.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 €81.8

$101 Ft 33.0K

-9.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 €39.98

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

4.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €98.0

$113 Ft 36.7K

-2.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 €187

$119 Ft 38.6K

76.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 €697

$805 Ft 262.0K

-3.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 €584

$629 Ft 204.7K

3.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 €1,158

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-16.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 €933

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-10.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,947 €3,522

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-29.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 €1,802

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-49.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,524 €2,253

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

55.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

6.43

-36.24%

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

Last update for Oulu: 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

Oulu

$654 35%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 3.8% $25

Groceries & Markets

Oulu

$354 19%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 27.3% $97

Eating Out

Oulu

$323 17.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 30.5% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Oulu

$205 11%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 17.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oulu

$166 8.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 30.6% $51

Getting Around

Oulu

$93 5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 53.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Oulu

$71 3.8%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 21% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Oulu 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 55% higher in Oulu, 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 $88.0 in Oulu versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Oulu

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

1 h behind Oulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,651

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Oulu Budapest 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Oulu
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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

Oulu vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Oulu is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,838 per month in Oulu 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 131% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $360 per month in Oulu 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 Oulu at $1,892. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oulu 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, Oulu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.