Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $1,033
Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $1,559 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $1,559
Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $2,084 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $2,084
Budapest $3,488

Pietermaritzburg is about 37% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Pietermaritzburg sits 24% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 R 129

$13.63 Ft 4,419

-42.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.52 R 602

$60.7 Ft 19.7K

-39.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 94.8

$10.02 Ft 3,248

-42.51%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R 37.76

$3.33 Ft 1,078

-31.23%

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

$1.17 R 19.22

$2.12 Ft 686

-44.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.07

$1.80 Ft 583

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R 36.60

$3.61 Ft 1,169

-38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 R 42.85

$3.59 Ft 1,163

-27.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.12 Ft 362

24.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 R 16.47

$1.93 Ft 624

-48.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.52

$2.49 Ft 806

-30.52%

Eggs

$3.21 R 52.9

$3.94 Ft 1,278

-18.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 R 114

$11.28 Ft 3,656

-38.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 R 80.8

$6.73 Ft 2,183

-27.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.45 R 106

$14.44 Ft 4,682

-55.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 R 32.56

$1.86 Ft 603

6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.24

$2.04 Ft 660

-6.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 R 36.83

$2.29 Ft 742

-2.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 R 33.58

$3.99 Ft 1,294

-48.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.87

$0.94 Ft 305

86.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.10

$1.02 Ft 331

79.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 R 24.36

$1.65 Ft 536

-10.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 R 17.23

$0.68 Ft 221

54.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R 49.99

$7.81 Ft 2,533

-61.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.12 R 67.8

$6.02 Ft 1,952

-31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 22.28

$1.29 Ft 419

4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 R 28.54

$2.02 Ft 656

-14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 R 48.60

$1.50 Ft 485

96.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 R 327

$27.13 Ft 8,792

-26.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 R 26.41

$3.36 Ft 1,088

-52.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 R 17.05

$1.37 Ft 445

-24.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.96 Ft 6,468

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.94

$1.86 Ft 604

-25.27%

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

$27.0K R 445.0K

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

-5.30%

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

$26.2K R 431.2K

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

-21.60%

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

$205 R 3,381

$178 Ft 57.8K

15.16%

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

$31.45 R 518

$23.58 Ft 7,643

33.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.25 R 614

$24.12 Ft 7,817

54.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.88 R 707

$69.7 Ft 22.6K

-38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.02 R 49.77

$17.03 Ft 5,520

-82.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 R 81.4

$10.48 Ft 3,397

-52.86%

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

$182 R 2,994

$625 Ft 202.6K

-70.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,251 R 86.5K

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

-73.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 R 927

$102 Ft 33.1K

-44.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 R 564

$43.41 Ft 14.1K

-21.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,885

$110 Ft 35.6K

4.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 R 1,158

$121 Ft 39.1K

-41.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 R 3,662

$845 Ft 274.0K

-73.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 R 3,584

$638 Ft 206.9K

-65.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 R 9,599

$1,609 Ft 521.5K

-63.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 R 6,753

$1,217 Ft 394.5K

-66.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,013 R 99.1K

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

8.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$150 R 2,470

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

-96.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 R 17.9K

$1,724 Ft 559.0K

-37.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

6.34

84.07%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pietermaritzburg

$274 26.5%

Budapest

$226 13.7% 17.5% $48

Accommodation & Living

Pietermaritzburg

$218 21.1%

Budapest

$638 38.8% 194% $421

Groceries & Markets

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8%

Budapest

$260 15.8% 33.6% $65

Eating Out

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8%

Budapest

$220 13.4% 66.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12%

Budapest

$169 10.3% 36.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.1%

Budapest

$91 5.5% 71.8% $38

Getting Around

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7%

Budapest

$43 2.6% 12.8% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Pietermaritzburg versus $845 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 59% 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 $37 in Pietermaritzburg versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $260 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:34 9:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

1 h behind Pietermaritzburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

618,536

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pietermaritzburg Budapest 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Pietermaritzburg
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

Pietermaritzburg vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,549 per month in Pietermaritzburg and $2,471 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Pietermaritzburg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Pietermaritzburg and $625 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 $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg and $1,647 in Budapest, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pietermaritzburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Pietermaritzburg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.