Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,040 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,040

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,040 per month in Perth vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Perth $3,040
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Perth vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Perth $4,133
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,226 per month in Perth vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Perth $5,226
Budapest $3,489

Perth costs about 87% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Perth and Budapest sit above the global median – Perth by 127%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 A$28.79

$13.99 Ft 4,551

43.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$121

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

40.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$14.99

$9.96 Ft 3,241

5.22%

Cappuccino

$4.47 A$6.40

$3.38 Ft 1,100

32.25%

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

$2.85 A$4.07

$2.13 Ft 692

33.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.87 Ft 608

17.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 A$11.74

$3.75 Ft 1,221

118.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 A$11.72

$3.57 Ft 1,162

129.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.54

$1.13 Ft 368

56.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 A$4.57

$1.84 Ft 599

73.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.81

$2.39 Ft 777

-17.57%

Eggs

$5.22 A$7.47

$3.83 Ft 1,245

36.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.92

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-20.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.03

$6.74 Ft 2,192

35.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 A$19.79

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-5.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 A$6.66

$1.84 Ft 597

152.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.47

$2.01 Ft 653

55.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 A$4.88

$2.36 Ft 767

44.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 A$7.09

$3.77 Ft 1,226

31.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.05

$0.96 Ft 313

194.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.78

$1.03 Ft 334

88.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.23

$1.56 Ft 509

44.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 A$1.93

$0.66 Ft 216

104.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.49 A$60.8

$7.96 Ft 2,591

433.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 A$18.13

$6.01 Ft 1,954

110.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.28 A$6.12

$1.30 Ft 421

229.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 A$4.89

$2.08 Ft 676

63.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 A$3.51

$1.50 Ft 489

63.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$141

$27.61 Ft 8,982

255.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.07

$3.30 Ft 1,074

7.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.30 Ft 424

12.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.3

$19.78 Ft 6,436

106.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.93

$1.81 Ft 591

-25.41%

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

$27.3K A$39.1K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-6.93%

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

$29.5K A$42.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-13.48%

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

$198 A$283

$170 Ft 55.3K

16.26%

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

$33.36 A$47.75

$23.98 Ft 7,802

39.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 A$90.1

$23.42 Ft 7,621

168.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$82.0

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-13.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 A$30.85

$19.18 Ft 6,239

12.41%

Cinema Ticket

$17.16 A$24.55

$9.52 Ft 3,098

80.25%

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

$2,277 A$3,259

$537 Ft 174.6K

324.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K A$32.5K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

36.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 A$110

$101 Ft 33.0K

-24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 A$91.9

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

49.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$175

$113 Ft 36.7K

8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 A$236

$119 Ft 38.6K

38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 A$2,777

$805 Ft 262.0K

141.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 A$2,355

$629 Ft 204.7K

161.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,736 A$3,916

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

76.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,085

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

84.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,449 A$12.1K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

50.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,054 A$8,664

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

52.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,280 A$6,124

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

163.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.89

6.43

-8.40%

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

Last update for Perth: 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

Perth

$1.6K 54.3%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 61.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$364 12%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 29.2% $106

Eating Out

Perth

$324 10.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 30.7% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$294 9.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 26% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.4%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 12.2% $24

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 63.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$92 3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 6.9% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,941 in Perth 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 163% higher in Perth, 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 $85.0 in Perth versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

03:52 3:52 AM

6 h behind Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

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 →

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Between locations

Perth Budapest 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Perth vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,560 per month in Perth 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 256% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,277 per month in Perth 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 Perth at $3,040. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth 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, Perth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.