Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,102 per month in Qatif vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Qatif $1,102
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,642 per month in Qatif vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Qatif $1,642
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,183 per month in Qatif vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Qatif $2,183
Budapest $3,429

Qatif is about 32% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Qatif sits 18% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 SAR 13.07

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-75.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.45 SAR 129

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-43.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 SAR 24.75

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-35.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

Cappuccino

$3.15 SAR 11.81

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-3.37%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.92

$2.14 Ft 690

-63.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 SAR 0.76

$1.78 Ft 577

-88.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SAR 6.78

$1.15 Ft 371

57.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.63

$1.79 Ft 578

-45.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SAR 6.96

$2.49 Ft 804

-25.30%

Eggs

$2.12 SAR 7.94

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-45.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 SAR 22.35

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-46.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 SAR 29.16

$6.62 Ft 2,139

17.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 SAR 47.77

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$1.83 Ft 591

20.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

$2.05 Ft 661

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.37 Ft 765

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 SAR 2.59

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-82.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.19

$0.99 Ft 320

13.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.32

$1.00 Ft 322

15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 SAR 3.66

$1.58 Ft 511

-38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$0.67 Ft 216

-17.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SAR 5.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 7.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 SAR 23.42

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-21.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.52 Ft 490

-27.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.81 SAR 138

$28.02 Ft 9,053

31.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 SAR 9.09

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-26.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$1.37 Ft 442

-59.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.11 SAR 49.19

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-33.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.34

$1.82 Ft 589

-65.93%

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

$35.9K SAR 134.6K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

20.38%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.8K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-38.67%

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

$107 SAR 400

$171 Ft 55.3K

-37.66%

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

$32.52 SAR 122

$23.51 Ft 7,596

38.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 SAR 218

$23.29 Ft 7,526

149.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 SAR 307

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

21.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.75 SAR 81.6

$18.89 Ft 6,104

15.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 SAR 50.0

$9.30 Ft 3,004

43.33%

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

$268 SAR 1,005

$533 Ft 172.3K

-49.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,092 SAR 30.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-51.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.99 SAR 120

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-67.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.32 SAR 80.0

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-50.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SAR 364

$110 Ft 35.7K

-12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 SAR 338

$119 Ft 38.4K

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 SAR 2,159

$830 Ft 268.3K

-30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 SAR 1,375

$622 Ft 200.9K

-41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,121

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-47.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 SAR 2,151

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-51.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$976 SAR 3,663

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-83.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$790 SAR 2,963

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-79.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 SAR 8,537

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

37.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

6.45

-14.73%

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

Last update for Qatif: 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

Qatif

$367 33.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 69.7% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qatif

$197 17.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 10.5% $21

Groceries & Markets

Qatif

$186 16.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 39% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Qatif

$109 9.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 20.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Qatif

$108 9.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 55% $59

Eating Out

Qatif

$89 8.1%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 150% $134

Getting Around

Qatif

$46 4.2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 4.6% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $575 in Qatif 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 38% higher in Qatif, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Qatif versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $258 – making Qatif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Qatif

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

1 h behind Qatif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,332

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 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 SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Qatif Budapest 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Qatif
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

Qatif vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,653 per month in Qatif 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 Qatif, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Qatif. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $268 per month in Qatif and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Qatif, where all-in costs run around $1,102, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Qatif it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qatif – 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 Qatif. 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.