Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Elizabeth: $1,182 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,182

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,182
Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $1,939 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,939
Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $2,696 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $2,696
Budapest $3,488

Port Elizabeth is about 28% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Port Elizabeth sits 13% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 R 176

$13.63 Ft 4,419

-21.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.58 R 685

$60.7 Ft 19.7K

-31.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 R 99.6

$10.02 Ft 3,248

-39.72%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R 34.16

$3.33 Ft 1,078

-37.84%

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

$1.06 R 17.45

$2.12 Ft 686

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.57

$1.80 Ft 583

-57.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 R 43.62

$3.61 Ft 1,169

-26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R 52.4

$3.59 Ft 1,163

-11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R 18.66

$1.12 Ft 362

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.30

$1.93 Ft 624

-45.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.66

$2.49 Ft 806

-39.76%

Eggs

$2.72 R 44.79

$3.94 Ft 1,278

-30.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 R 146

$11.28 Ft 3,656

-21.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R 89.2

$6.73 Ft 2,183

-19.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 R 136

$14.44 Ft 4,682

-42.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 R 35.63

$1.86 Ft 603

16.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.40

$2.04 Ft 660

-24.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.07

$2.29 Ft 742

-25.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.72

$3.99 Ft 1,294

-54.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.44

$0.94 Ft 305

84.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.45

$1.02 Ft 331

39.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.34

$1.65 Ft 536

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.25

$0.68 Ft 221

45.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 R 52.6

$7.81 Ft 2,533

-59.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 R 81.6

$6.02 Ft 1,952

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R 20.70

$1.29 Ft 419

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 29.92

$2.02 Ft 656

-9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R 18.04

$1.50 Ft 485

-27.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.03 R 594

$27.13 Ft 8,792

32.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 R 34.77

$3.36 Ft 1,088

-37.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 R 7.74

$1.37 Ft 445

-65.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 R 140

$19.96 Ft 6,468

-57.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.22

$1.86 Ft 604

-17.74%

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

$34.7K R 571.1K

$28.5K Ft 9.2M

21.55%

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

$34.3K R 564.4K

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

2.61%

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

$123 R 2,029

$178 Ft 57.8K

-30.89%

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

$34.77 R 573

$23.58 Ft 7,643

47.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.39 R 732

$24.12 Ft 7,817

84.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.97 R 527

$69.7 Ft 22.6K

-54.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.16 R 382

$17.03 Ft 5,520

36.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 R 172

$10.48 Ft 3,397

-0.10%

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

$178 R 2,933

$625 Ft 202.6K

-71.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,168 R 101.6K

$19.6K Ft 6.4M

-68.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 R 1,169

$102 Ft 33.1K

-30.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.13 R 645

$43.41 Ft 14.1K

-9.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 R 1,848

$110 Ft 35.6K

2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 R 1,615

$121 Ft 39.1K

-18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 R 8,266

$845 Ft 274.0K

-40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 R 6,350

$638 Ft 206.9K

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 R 15.7K

$1,609 Ft 521.5K

-40.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 R 15.4K

$1,217 Ft 394.5K

-23.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.5K

$5,555 Ft 1.8M

-86.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$534 R 8,806

$3,898 Ft 1.3M

-86.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,624 R 26.8K

$1,724 Ft 559.0K

-5.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

6.34

88.33%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: November 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$385 32.6%

Budapest

$638 38.8% 65.7% $253

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$202 17.1%

Budapest

$226 13.7% 11.7% $24

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$198 16.7%

Budapest

$260 15.8% 31.4% $62

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$155 13.1%

Budapest

$220 13.4% 41.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$144 12.2%

Budapest

$169 10.3% 17.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$53 4.5%

Budapest

$91 5.5% 71.3% $38

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$45 3.8%

Budapest

$43 2.6% 3.4% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Port Elizabeth 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 6% 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 $42 in Port Elizabeth versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $260 – making Port Elizabeth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

10:33 10:33 AM

1 h behind Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

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 →

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Budapest 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
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

Port Elizabeth vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,774 per month in Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $502 there versus $845 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $178 per month in Port Elizabeth and $625 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,182 in Port Elizabeth and $1,647 in Budapest. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Port Elizabeth – 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 Port Elizabeth. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.