Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rhodes and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $1,714 in Rhodes, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Rhodes despite lower rent and utilities.

84

Cost of Living Index in Rhodes
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Rhodes Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Rhodes

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,714

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,714 per month in Rhodes vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Rhodes $1,714
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,673 per month in Rhodes vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Rhodes $2,673
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,632 per month in Rhodes vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Rhodes $3,632
Budapest $3,429

Rhodes costs about 6% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rhodes and Budapest sit above the global median – Rhodes by 27%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.38 €16.35

$13.94 Ft 4,503

31.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.5

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

9.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 €8.45

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-6.77%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.92

$3.26 Ft 1,055

34.97%

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

$2.53 €2.25

$2.14 Ft 690

18.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.82

$1.78 Ft 577

-47.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 €4.77

$3.71 Ft 1,198

44.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.44

$3.77 Ft 1,217

2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.15 Ft 371

87.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.79 Ft 578

0.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.14 €4.57

$2.49 Ft 804

106.43%

Eggs

$6.40 €5.69

$3.90 Ft 1,261

64.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 €14.51

$11.10 Ft 3,587

46.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 €10.10

$6.62 Ft 2,139

71.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.09 €16.09

$14.69 Ft 4,745

23.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.94

$1.83 Ft 591

19.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.05 Ft 661

4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.37 Ft 765

-35.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.17

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-37.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$0.99 Ft 320

72.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.00 Ft 322

87.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.58 Ft 511

-15.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.64

$0.67 Ft 216

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 €4.52

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-36.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €7.03

$6.22 Ft 2,009

27.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.27 Ft 411

106.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.03 Ft 654

-17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.52 Ft 490

63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 €65.6

$28.02 Ft 9,053

163.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 €3.03

$3.31 Ft 1,070

2.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.37 Ft 442

5.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.98 €9.77

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-44.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.82 Ft 589

17.03%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-4.63%

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

$26.1K €23.2K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-22.90%

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

$221 €197

$171 Ft 55.3K

29.41%

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

$26.02 €23.15

$23.51 Ft 7,596

10.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.16 €25.94

$23.29 Ft 7,526

25.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 €54.1

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-9.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.00 €34.69

$18.89 Ft 6,104

106.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.76 €7.79

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-5.81%

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

$476 €423

$533 Ft 172.3K

-10.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,017 €8,021

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-46.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 €135

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

52.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.70 €29.98

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-22.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €100

$110 Ft 35.7K

1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 €143

$119 Ft 38.4K

35.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 €504

$830 Ft 268.3K

-31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 €390

$622 Ft 200.9K

-29.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €907

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-36.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 €692

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-33.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,673 €3,267

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-37.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,722 €1,532

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-55.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 €1,196

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-18.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

6.45

-29.77%

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

Last update for Rhodes: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rhodes

$438 25.6%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 41.9% $184

Groceries & Markets

Rhodes

$343 20%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 24.8% $85

Eating Out

Rhodes

$277 16.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 19.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rhodes

$277 16.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 21.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Rhodes

$207 12.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 18.9% $39

Getting Around

Rhodes

$94 5.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 53.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Rhodes

$78 4.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 9.9% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $567 in Rhodes 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 23% higher in Budapest, 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 $67.0 in Rhodes versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Rhodes

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

1 h behind Rhodes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,128

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rhodes Budapest 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rhodes
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

Rhodes vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rhodes is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,571 per month in Rhodes 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 163% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Rhodes 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 Rhodes at $1,714. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rhodes 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, Rhodes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.