Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perez Zeledon and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Perez Zeledon: $1,328 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

64

Cost of Living Index in Perez Zeledon
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Perez Zeledon Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Perez Zeledon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,328

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,328 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $1,328
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $2,371
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $3,414 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $3,414
Budapest $3,483

Perez Zeledon is about 19% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Perez Zeledon sits 2% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.34 ₡4,188

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.62 ₡16.4K

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-39.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 ₡3,689

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-20.64%

Cappuccino

$2.70 ₡1,210

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-21.97%

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

$1.96 ₡880

$2.07 Ft 669

-5.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₡766

$1.77 Ft 572

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₡804

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-51.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.80 Ft 1,229

-18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.16 Ft 374

41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₡1,357

$1.85 Ft 598

63.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,109

$2.40 Ft 776

2.92%

Eggs

$2.48 ₡1,113

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-37.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ₡4,763

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-6.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,646

$6.87 Ft 2,221

50.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 ₡6,196

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 ₡2,238

$1.88 Ft 607

165.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₡483

$2.14 Ft 693

-49.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.85 ₡2,174

$2.30 Ft 744

110.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,777

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-1.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,730

$1.02 Ft 329

278.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 ₡1,693

$0.99 Ft 320

281.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 ₡205

$1.58 Ft 510

-70.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₡1,441

$0.70 Ft 225

358.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 ₡2,582

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-28.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.78 ₡8,870

$6.18 Ft 1,997

220.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,240

$1.24 Ft 401

123.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₡1,572

$2.06 Ft 666

69.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ₡344

$1.59 Ft 513

-51.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-26.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.33 Ft 431

21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ₡3,952

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-56.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡689

$1.93 Ft 624

-20.21%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-23.43%

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

$34.8K ₡15.6M

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

0.10%

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

$92.9 ₡41.7K

$175 Ft 56.4K

-46.80%

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

$23.91 ₡10.7K

$23.62 Ft 7,631

1.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 ₡26.3K

$23.60 Ft 7,625

148.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 ₡32.5K

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

5.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ₡3,346

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-27.64%

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

$508 ₡227.7K

$535 Ft 172.9K

-5.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

0.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 ₡32.7K

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-27.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 ₡25.5K

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

31.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$112 Ft 36.1K

15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.1K

$119 Ft 38.4K

8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ₡180.0K

$832 Ft 268.8K

-51.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ₡149.4K

$629 Ft 203.3K

-47.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,898 ₡851.1K

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

19.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 ₡564.0K

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

5.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.45

33.64%

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

Last update for Perez Zeledon: October 20, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Perez Zeledon

$382 28.8%

Budapest

$262 16% 31.5% $120

Accommodation & Living

Perez Zeledon

$333 25.1%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 88.9% $296

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perez Zeledon

$176 13.2%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 26.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Perez Zeledon

$175 13.2%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 3.8% $6.7

Eating Out

Perez Zeledon

$162 12.2%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 40.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Perez Zeledon

$87 6.6%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 2.5% $2.2

Getting Around

Perez Zeledon

$14 * 1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 223% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Perez Zeledon versus $832 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Perez Zeledon versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Perez Zeledon vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Perez Zeledon

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

21:10 9:10 PM

8 h ahead of Perez Zeledon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Perez Zeledon Budapest 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Perez Zeledon
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

Perez Zeledon vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,992 per month in Perez Zeledon and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Perez Zeledon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Perez Zeledon and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 46% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perez Zeledon, where all-in costs run around $1,328, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Perez Zeledon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Perez Zeledon – 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 Perez Zeledon. 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.