Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Prague and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,035 in Prague, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Prague outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Prague
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Prague Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Prague

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$2,035

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,035 per month in Prague vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Prague $2,035
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,943 per month in Prague vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Prague $2,943
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,851 per month in Prague vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Prague $3,851
Budapest $3,429

Prague costs about 26% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Prague and Budapest sit above the global median – Prague by 51%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 Kč 235

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-22.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 Kč 1,105

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-16.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 Kč 221

$10.19 Ft 3,291

0.29%

Cappuccino

$3.58 Kč 77.5

$3.26 Ft 1,055

9.82%

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

$2.03 Kč 44.00

$2.14 Ft 690

-5.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 Kč 30.71

$1.78 Ft 577

-20.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Kč 68.8

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 Kč 67.7

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 Kč 23.32

$1.15 Ft 371

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 Kč 34.95

$1.79 Ft 578

-9.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Kč 51.9

$2.49 Ft 804

-3.61%

Eggs

$3.72 Kč 80.5

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-4.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 Kč 259

$11.10 Ft 3,587

8.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 Kč 185

$6.62 Ft 2,139

29.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 Kč 305

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 Kč 41.11

$1.83 Ft 591

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 Kč 37.61

$2.05 Ft 661

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 Kč 47.20

$2.37 Ft 765

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 Kč 80.5

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 Kč 21.62

$0.99 Ft 320

1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 Kč 21.87

$1.00 Ft 322

1.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Kč 33.45

$1.58 Ft 511

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Kč 16.91

$0.67 Ft 216

16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.69 Kč 166

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 Kč 147

$6.22 Ft 2,009

9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Kč 25.74

$1.27 Ft 411

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 Kč 42.70

$2.03 Ft 654

-2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 Kč 38.44

$1.52 Ft 490

17.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.11 Kč 457

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-24.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 Kč 57.7

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-19.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 Kč 35.48

$1.37 Ft 442

19.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.40 Kč 420

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-2.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 Kč 42.50

$1.82 Ft 589

8.24%

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

$30.6K Kč 662.6K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

2.82%

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

$34.1K Kč 737.0K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

0.79%

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

$284 Kč 6,134

$171 Ft 55.3K

65.76%

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

$23.46 Kč 507

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-0.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 Kč 477

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-5.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 Kč 1,467

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

0.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 Kč 376

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-7.89%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 Kč 283

$9.30 Ft 3,004

40.65%

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

$1,094 Kč 23.7K

$533 Ft 172.3K

105.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K Kč 404.5K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

11.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 Kč 1,995

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-7.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.06 Kč 1,018

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 Kč 2,391

$110 Ft 35.7K

0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 Kč 2,790

$119 Ft 38.4K

8.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Kč 24.2K

$830 Ft 268.3K

34.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 Kč 20.4K

$622 Ft 200.9K

51.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 Kč 48.3K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

40.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 Kč 33.9K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

33.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,321 Kč 201.6K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

59.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,757 Kč 146.1K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

73.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,344 Kč 50.7K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

41.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

6.45

-26.82%

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

Last update for Prague: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Prague

$942 46.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 34% $320

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Prague

$329 16.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 33.8% $111

Groceries & Markets

Prague

$264 13%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 2.2% $5.9

Eating Out

Prague

$196 9.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 13.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Prague

$171 8.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 1.7% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Prague

$94 4.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 8.4% $7.9

Getting Around

Prague

$39 1.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 13.1% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,117 in Prague 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 42% higher in Prague, 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 $51.0 in Prague versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Prague vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇿 Prague

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

Same time as Prague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,251,933 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CZK – Czech Koruna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇿 Czech Koruna (Kč)

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 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 CZK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Prague Budapest 440 km

From you

Prague
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

Prague vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Prague is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,053 per month in Prague 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 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 33% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,094 per month in Prague and $533 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 $1,619, than in Prague at $2,035. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Prague 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, Prague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.