Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phoenix and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Phoenix: $823 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Phoenix
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Phoenix Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Phoenix

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$823

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $823 per month in Phoenix vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Phoenix $823
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,303 per month in Phoenix vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Phoenix $1,303
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,783 per month in Phoenix vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Phoenix $1,783
Budapest $3,429

Phoenix is about 49% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Phoenix sits 39% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.12 MUR 99.7

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-84.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.62 MUR 1,489

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-48.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 MUR 344

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-28.26%

Cappuccino

$5.18 MUR 244

$3.26 Ft 1,055

58.90%

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

$0.60 MUR 28.29

$2.14 Ft 690

-71.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MUR 25.79

$1.78 Ft 577

-69.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 MUR 96.4

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-44.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 MUR 249

$3.77 Ft 1,217

40.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MUR 68.0

$1.15 Ft 371

25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 MUR 19.01

$1.79 Ft 578

-77.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MUR 101

$2.49 Ft 804

-13.25%

Eggs

$4.91 MUR 231

$3.90 Ft 1,261

25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 MUR 387

$6.62 Ft 2,139

24.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.45 MUR 304

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-56.09%

Apples (1kg)

$7.50 MUR 353

$1.83 Ft 591

309.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.88 MUR 183

$2.05 Ft 661

89.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 MUR 215

$2.37 Ft 765

93.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 MUR 70.0

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-61.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 MUR 40.12

$0.99 Ft 320

-14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 MUR 40.69

$1.00 Ft 322

-14.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 MUR 34.03

$1.58 Ft 511

-54.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.76

$0.67 Ft 216

13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MUR 489

$6.22 Ft 2,009

67.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 MUR 95.9

$1.27 Ft 411

60.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 MUR 50.7

$1.52 Ft 490

-28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.33 MUR 486

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-63.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 MUR 68.7

$1.37 Ft 442

6.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MUR 62.5

$1.82 Ft 589

-26.92%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

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

$14.01 MUR 659

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-40.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.77 MUR 1,166

$23.29 Ft 7,526

6.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.58 MUR 1,204

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-62.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 MUR 245

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-43.98%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 MUR 2,511

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-46.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 MUR 2,481

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

21.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 MUR 24.8K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MUR 14.6K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-49.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 MUR 39.1K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-47.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 MUR 25.2K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-54.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$959 MUR 45.1K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-41.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-22.48%

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

Last update for Phoenix: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phoenix

$311 37.8%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 99.9% $311

Groceries & Markets

Phoenix

$241 * 29.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 7.1% $17

Eating Out

Phoenix

$126 15.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 76.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Phoenix

$48 * 5.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 251% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phoenix

$39 * 4.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 462% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Phoenix

$36 4.4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 139% $50

Getting Around

Phoenix

$22 * 2.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 102% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Phoenix versus $830 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 72% 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 $32.00 in Phoenix versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $258 – making Phoenix the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Phoenix

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

15:05 3:05 PM

2 h behind Phoenix

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,289

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to MUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phoenix Budapest 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phoenix
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

Phoenix vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,234 per month in Phoenix and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 171% less in Phoenix. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Phoenix, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Phoenix it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phoenix – 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 Phoenix. 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.