Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,351 in Saint Helier, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Saint Helier
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Saint Helier Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Saint Helier

🇯🇪 Jersey

$3,351

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,351 per month in Saint Helier vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint Helier $3,351
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $5,022 per month in Saint Helier vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint Helier $5,022
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $6,693 per month in Saint Helier vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint Helier $6,693
Budapest $3,489

Saint Helier costs about 107% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saint Helier and Budapest sit above the global median – Saint Helier by 150%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.27 JEP 30.49

$13.99 Ft 4,551

187.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 JEP 89.3

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

95.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 JEP 7.89

$9.96 Ft 3,241

4.62%

Cappuccino

$4.71 JEP 3.57

$3.38 Ft 1,100

39.35%

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

$3.33 JEP 2.52

$2.13 Ft 692

56.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 JEP 1.85

$1.87 Ft 608

31.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 JEP 5.85

$3.75 Ft 1,221

106.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 JEP 4.63

$3.57 Ft 1,162

71.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 JEP 1.74

$1.13 Ft 368

102.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 JEP 2.04

$1.84 Ft 599

46.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 JEP 2.85

$2.39 Ft 777

57.32%

Eggs

$6.12 JEP 4.63

$3.83 Ft 1,245

59.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 JEP 5.43

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-36.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 JEP 8.92

$6.74 Ft 2,192

74.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 JEP 13.71

$14.69 Ft 4,780

23.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 JEP 3.23

$1.84 Ft 597

132.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 JEP 2.56

$2.01 Ft 653

68.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 JEP 3.21

$2.36 Ft 767

79.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 JEP 3.33

$3.77 Ft 1,226

16.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 JEP 2.41

$0.96 Ft 313

231.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 JEP 2.32

$1.03 Ft 334

197.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 JEP 1.37

$1.56 Ft 509

16.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 JEP 1.90

$0.66 Ft 216

280.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.58 JEP 14.82

$7.96 Ft 2,591

145.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 JEP 7.90

$6.01 Ft 1,954

73.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 JEP 3.54

$1.30 Ft 421

260.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 JEP 5.75

$2.08 Ft 676

264.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 JEP 2.46

$1.50 Ft 489

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 JEP 52.7

$27.61 Ft 8,982

152.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 JEP 4.03

$3.30 Ft 1,074

61.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 JEP 1.88

$1.30 Ft 424

91.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.2 JEP 40.27

$19.78 Ft 6,436

168.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 JEP 1.55

$1.81 Ft 591

13.26%

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

$26.3K JEP 19.9K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-10.28%

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

$35.9K JEP 27.1K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

5.12%

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

$318 JEP 241

$170 Ft 55.3K

86.95%

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

$45.82 JEP 34.69

$23.98 Ft 7,802

91.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 JEP 54.7

$23.42 Ft 7,621

208.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.8 JEP 57.4

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

14.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 JEP 21.22

$19.18 Ft 6,239

46.14%

Cinema Ticket

$20.18 JEP 15.28

$9.52 Ft 3,098

111.97%

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

$2,731 JEP 2,067

$537 Ft 174.6K

408.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K JEP 9,051

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-28.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 JEP 77.8

$101 Ft 33.0K

1.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.2 JEP 55.4

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

70.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 JEP 91.6

$113 Ft 36.7K

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 JEP 157

$119 Ft 38.6K

75.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 JEP 1,375

$805 Ft 262.0K

125.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 JEP 1,201

$629 Ft 204.7K

152.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,324 JEP 2,516

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

114.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,554 JEP 1,933

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

118.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.6K JEP 8,810

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

107.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.2K JEP 7,685

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

155.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,528 JEP 3,428

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

178.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.43

-36.55%

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

Last update for Saint Helier: 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

Saint Helier

$1.6K 47.1%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 60.3% $957

Eating Out

Saint Helier

$484 14.4%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 53.7% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Helier

$436 12.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 50.1% $218

Groceries & Markets

Saint Helier

$417 12.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 38.3% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Helier

$227 6.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 25.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Helier

$116 3.5%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 26.6% $31

Getting Around

Saint Helier

$100 3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 56.7% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,816 in Saint Helier 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 179% higher in Saint Helier, 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 $118 in Saint Helier versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇪 Saint Helier

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

1 h ahead of Saint Helier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,522 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Jersey Pound JEP £

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 JEP = 1.32 USD

1 JEP = 1.18 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to JEP – Jersey Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇪 Jersey Pound (£)

Jersey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 JEP (1 JEP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 JEP (1 JEP = 1.18 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 JEP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Helier Budapest 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Helier
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

Saint Helier vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Helier is pricier by about 107%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,026 per month in Saint Helier 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 $2,731 per month in Saint Helier 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 Saint Helier at $3,351. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Helier 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, Saint Helier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.