Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,893 in Quebec City, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
Learn more

Quebec City Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,893

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,893 per month in Quebec City vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Quebec City $1,893
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,839 per month in Quebec City vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Quebec City $2,839
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,785 per month in Quebec City vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Quebec City $3,785
Budapest $3,489

Quebec City costs about 17% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quebec City and Budapest sit above the global median – Quebec City by 41%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.19 CA$30.14

$13.99 Ft 4,555

51.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 CA$91.1

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

6.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 CA$15.60

$9.96 Ft 3,244

10.14%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.21

$3.38 Ft 1,102

8.28%

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

$2.07 CA$2.95

$2.13 Ft 693

-2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$2.01

$1.87 Ft 609

-24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 CA$7.93

$3.75 Ft 1,222

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.91

$3.57 Ft 1,163

55.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$3.01

$1.13 Ft 369

87.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CA$4.05

$1.84 Ft 600

54.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 CA$6.04

$2.39 Ft 777

77.82%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.52

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-16.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 CA$12.62

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-21.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 CA$14.96

$6.74 Ft 2,194

56.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 CA$14.78

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-29.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.99

$1.84 Ft 598

128.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.26

$2.01 Ft 654

-20.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.26

$2.36 Ft 767

56.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.56

$3.77 Ft 1,227

3.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.06

$0.96 Ft 314

197.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.97

$1.03 Ft 335

170.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$1.56 Ft 509

72.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$2.03

$0.66 Ft 216

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.87 CA$21.16

$7.96 Ft 2,594

86.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 CA$15.88

$6.01 Ft 1,956

85.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.48

$1.30 Ft 422

142.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$2.08 Ft 677

63.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 CA$3.93

$1.50 Ft 490

84.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 CA$99.0

$27.61 Ft 8,991

152.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-12.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.30 Ft 424

13.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.24 CA$48.70

$19.78 Ft 6,442

73.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.78

$1.81 Ft 591

-30.94%

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

$28.3K CA$40.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-3.56%

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

$21.3K CA$30.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-37.57%

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

$100 CA$143

$170 Ft 55.3K

-41.02%

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

$31.82 CA$45.26

$23.98 Ft 7,809

32.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.74 CA$63.6

$23.42 Ft 7,628

91.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.56 CA$49.16

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-47.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 CA$21.72

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-20.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 CA$15.46

$9.52 Ft 3,101

14.18%

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

$685 CA$975

$537 Ft 174.8K

27.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,148 CA$13.0K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-44.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 CA$84.9

$101 Ft 33.0K

-41.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 CA$71.4

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

16.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 CA$128

$113 Ft 36.7K

-20.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$153

$119 Ft 38.7K

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 CA$1,458

$805 Ft 262.2K

27.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 CA$1,101

$629 Ft 204.9K

22.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 CA$2,226

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

1.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 CA$1,818

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

9.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,737 CA$6,737

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-15.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 CA$3,884

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-31.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,037 CA$4,320

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

86.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

6.43

-30.95%

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

Last update for Quebec City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quebec City

$774 41.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 18.7% $145

Groceries & Markets

Quebec City

$342 18.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 24.6% $84

Eating Out

Quebec City

$299 16%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 25.1% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quebec City

$177 9.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 22.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Quebec City

$138 7.4%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 22.3% $31

Getting Around

Quebec City

$91 4.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 52.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Quebec City

$56 3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 51.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Quebec City versus $805 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 87% higher in Quebec City, 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 $64.0 in Quebec City versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

08:24 8:24 AM

6 h ahead of Quebec City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

530,168

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quebec City Budapest 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quebec City
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

Quebec City vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quebec City is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,839 per month in Quebec City and $2,432 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 152% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $685 per month in Quebec City and $537 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 $1,621, than in Quebec City at $1,893. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quebec City 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, Quebec City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.