Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paks and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Paks: $1,154 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Paks
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Paks Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Paks

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,154

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,154 per month in Paks vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Paks $1,154
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,725 per month in Paks vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Paks $1,725
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $2,297 per month in Paks vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Paks $2,297
Budapest $3,467

Paks is about 30% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Paks sits 15% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.53 Ft 2,811

$13.81 Ft 4,548

-38.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.18 Ft 9,939

$61.5 Ft 20.2K

-50.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 Ft 2,372

$10.16 Ft 3,345

-29.13%

Cappuccino

$0.88 Ft 290

$3.22 Ft 1,061

-72.67%

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

$1.16 Ft 382

$2.06 Ft 679

-43.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 Ft 279

$1.83 Ft 604

-53.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 Ft 411

$3.60 Ft 1,187

-65.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 Ft 640

$3.66 Ft 1,207

-46.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 381

$1.19 Ft 392

-2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 Ft 196

$1.87 Ft 616

-68.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 Ft 776

$2.37 Ft 779

-0.84%

Eggs

$3.35 Ft 1,103

$3.96 Ft 1,304

-15.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 Ft 3,571

$11.16 Ft 3,677

-2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 Ft 2,091

$6.76 Ft 2,226

-6.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 Ft 4,497

$14.35 Ft 4,727

-4.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 Ft 582

$1.81 Ft 595

-2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 672

$2.11 Ft 695

-3.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 Ft 688

$2.33 Ft 769

-10.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 Ft 1,266

$3.80 Ft 1,253

1.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 Ft 176

$0.99 Ft 327

-46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 Ft 177

$0.98 Ft 324

-44.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 Ft 497

$1.55 Ft 511

-2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Ft 167

$0.70 Ft 229

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 Ft 2,541

$7.79 Ft 2,567

-1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.94 Ft 1,958

$6.05 Ft 1,993

-1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 402

$1.28 Ft 421

-4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 Ft 523

$2.04 Ft 671

-22.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 Ft 407

$1.55 Ft 511

-20.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.44 Ft 7,722

$27.28 Ft 8,987

-14.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 Ft 1,020

$3.30 Ft 1,086

-6.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 Ft 515

$1.31 Ft 433

19.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.53 Ft 6,103

$20.26 Ft 6,673

-8.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 Ft 626

$1.82 Ft 599

4.40%

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

$32.4K Ft 10.7M

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

12.93%

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

$35.9K Ft 11.8M

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

8.63%

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

$136 Ft 44.6K

$172 Ft 56.7K

-21.29%

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

$10.22 Ft 3,368

$23.95 Ft 7,890

-57.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.80 Ft 3,886

$23.31 Ft 7,679

-49.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 Ft 18.3K

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.83 Ft 6,861

$18.91 Ft 6,229

10.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 Ft 2,557

$10.18 Ft 3,353

-23.77%

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

$250 Ft 82.3K

$600 Ft 197.8K

-58.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,365 Ft 2.4M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-56.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 Ft 29.5K

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

-9.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.48 Ft 4,441

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

-68.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 Ft 31.7K

$113 Ft 37.2K

-14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 Ft 35.1K

$117 Ft 38.6K

-8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 Ft 171.4K

$836 Ft 275.4K

-37.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 Ft 131.6K

$640 Ft 210.7K

-37.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 Ft 245.0K

$1,598 Ft 526.5K

-53.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 Ft 212.0K

$1,205 Ft 396.9K

-46.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,225 Ft 1.1M

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-42.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,533 Ft 834.5K

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-33.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,255 Ft 413.3K

$1,671 Ft 550.6K

-24.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

6.45

27.91%

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

Last update for Paks: October 25, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paks

$400 34.6%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 60.1% $240

Groceries & Markets

Paks

$230 20%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 12.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paks

$158 13.7%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 39.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Paks

$138 11.9%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 21.6% $30

Eating Out

Paks

$119 10.3%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 86% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Paks

$71 6.2%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 25.1% $18

Getting Around

Paks

$39 3.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 10.3% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $520 in Paks versus $836 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 33% 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 $30 in Paks versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $258 – making Paks the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Paks

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:52 1:52 PM

Same time as Paks

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,917

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Paks Budapest 98 km

From you

Paks
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

Paks vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,731 per month in Paks and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paks, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $520 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Paks. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $250 per month in Paks and $600 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,154 in Paks and $1,638 in Budapest, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Paks – 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 Paks. 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.