Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saar and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,978 in Saar, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,978

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,978 per month in Saar vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Saar $1,978
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,743 per month in Saar vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Saar $2,743
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,508 per month in Saar vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Saar $3,508
Budapest $3,489

Saar costs about 22% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Saar and Budapest sit above the global median – Saar by 48%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 BHD 4.06

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-23.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.59 BHD 12.68

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-44.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 BHD 4.06

$9.96 Ft 3,241

7.93%

Cappuccino

$5.78 BHD 2.18

$3.38 Ft 1,100

71.01%

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

$1.72 BHD 0.65

$2.13 Ft 692

-19.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 BHD 0.38

$1.87 Ft 608

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 BHD 2.29

$3.75 Ft 1,221

62.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.06 BHD 3.42

$3.57 Ft 1,162

153.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 BHD 0.63

$1.13 Ft 368

47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 BHD 0.51

$1.84 Ft 599

-26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 BHD 0.99

$2.39 Ft 777

9.21%

Eggs

$2.61 BHD 0.99

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-31.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 BHD 5.03

$11.33 Ft 3,686

17.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 BHD 2.53

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-0.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 BHD 6.03

$14.69 Ft 4,780

8.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 BHD 1.52

$1.84 Ft 597

118.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 BHD 0.91

$2.01 Ft 653

19.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 BHD 1.36

$2.36 Ft 767

52.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 BHD 0.77

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-45.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 BHD 0.26

$0.96 Ft 313

-28.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 BHD 0.64

$1.03 Ft 334

65.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$0.66 Ft 216

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$26.77 BHD 10.10

$6.01 Ft 1,954

345.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 BHD 0.30

$1.50 Ft 489

-47.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 BHD 1.99

$3.30 Ft 1,074

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 BHD 0.22

$1.81 Ft 591

-67.40%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$131 BHD 49.37

$170 Ft 55.3K

-23.03%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.39 BHD 12.22

$23.42 Ft 7,621

38.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$159 BHD 60.2

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

140.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$106 BHD 40.06

$19.18 Ft 6,239

453.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 BHD 5.82

$9.52 Ft 3,098

62.08%

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

$552 BHD 208

$537 Ft 174.6K

2.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,939 BHD 2,996

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-52.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 BHD 34.37

$101 Ft 33.0K

-10.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 BHD 14.83

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-8.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 BHD 39.31

$113 Ft 36.7K

-7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BHD 39.67

$119 Ft 38.6K

-11.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 BHD 491

$805 Ft 262.0K

61.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 BHD 355

$629 Ft 204.7K

49.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 BHD 792

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

35.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 BHD 444

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

0.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,172 BHD 820

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-45.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,368 BHD 894

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

45.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Saar: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saar

–

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Groceries & Markets

Saar

–

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Eating Out

Saar

–

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saar

–

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Saar

–

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Saar

–

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Getting Around

Saar

–

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,301 in Saar 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 46% higher in Saar, 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 $34.00 in Saar versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Saar vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇭 Saar

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

07:23 7:23 AM

1 h behind Saar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.423 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 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 BHD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saar Budapest 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Saar
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

Saar vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saar is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,967 per month in Saar 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Saar and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Saar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Saar at $1,978. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saar 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, Saar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.