Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quezon City and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $855 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$855

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $855 per month in Quezon City vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Quezon City $855
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Quezon City vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Quezon City $1,385
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,916 per month in Quezon City vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Quezon City $1,916
Budapest $3,489

Quezon City is about 47% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Quezon City sits 36% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ₱279

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-68.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 ₱1,178

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-68.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.86 ₱179

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-71.29%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ₱174

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-18.05%

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

$0.69 ₱43.17

$2.13 Ft 692

-67.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₱18.35

$1.87 Ft 608

-84.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ₱92.5

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-60.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₱171

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱107

$1.13 Ft 368

51.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.84 Ft 599

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₱53.0

$2.39 Ft 777

-64.44%

Eggs

$1.76 ₱110

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-54.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.83 ₱428

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-39.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 ₱269

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-36.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 ₱457

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-50.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 ₱241

$1.84 Ft 597

108.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ₱88.9

$2.01 Ft 653

-29.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 ₱224

$2.36 Ft 767

51.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.3

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-69.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 ₱150

$0.96 Ft 313

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ₱217

$1.03 Ft 334

234.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₱86.3

$1.56 Ft 509

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.0

$0.66 Ft 216

46.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ₱178

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-64.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 ₱478

$6.01 Ft 1,954

26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱81.4

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₱110

$2.08 Ft 676

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱24.91

$1.50 Ft 489

-73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.79 ₱1,179

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-31.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱47.86

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-76.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$1.30 Ft 424

-83.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ₱155

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-87.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱74.4

$1.81 Ft 591

-34.25%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-28.28%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-44.58%

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

$165 ₱10.3K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-3.19%

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

$14.28 ₱896

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-40.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 ₱1,518

$23.42 Ft 7,621

3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.71 ₱2,365

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-43.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.41 ₱214

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-82.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱453

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-24.16%

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

$73.1 ₱4,583

$537 Ft 174.6K

-86.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,472 ₱155.1K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-85.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.88 ₱2,250

$101 Ft 33.0K

-64.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.30 ₱1,398

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-48.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 ₱4,989

$113 Ft 36.7K

-29.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.4 ₱4,729

$119 Ft 38.6K

-36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 ₱19.7K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-60.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₱11.9K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-69.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₱46.8K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ₱32.6K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-55.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,326 ₱145.9K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-58.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,421 ₱89.1K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-64.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 ₱27.6K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-72.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.86%

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

Last update for Quezon City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Quezon City

$207 23.9%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 24.4% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quezon City

$203 23.5%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 7.1% $14

Accommodation & Living

Quezon City

$190 22%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 231% $439

Clothing & Footwear

Quezon City

$96 11.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 76.4% $73

Eating Out

Quezon City

$94 10.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 138% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Quezon City

$52 6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 63.5% $33

Getting Around

Quezon City

$22 2.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 95.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $314 in Quezon 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 269% 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 $19.00 in Quezon City versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $258 – making Quezon City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

09:21 9:21 AM

6 h behind Quezon City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,936,116

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quezon City Budapest 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Quezon 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

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

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,282 per month in Quezon 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 Quezon City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Quezon City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $73.1 per month in Quezon City and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Quezon City, where all-in costs run around $855, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Quezon City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quezon City – 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 Quezon City. 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.