Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
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Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,934

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,934 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $1,934
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,885 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $2,885
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,836 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $3,836
Budapest $3,429

Saint John, New Brunswick costs about 19% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saint John, New Brunswick and Budapest sit above the global median – Saint John, New Brunswick by 43%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.31 CA$25.89

$13.94 Ft 4,503

31.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 CA$83.5

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 CA$14.75

$10.19 Ft 3,291

2.36%

Cappuccino

$3.00 CA$4.25

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-7.98%

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

$1.69 CA$2.39

$2.14 Ft 690

-21.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.78 Ft 577

-40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 CA$6.26

$3.71 Ft 1,198

19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 CA$7.08

$3.77 Ft 1,217

32.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.07

$1.15 Ft 371

88.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.77

$1.79 Ft 578

49.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.49 Ft 804

25.30%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.17 CA$18.61

$11.10 Ft 3,587

18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 CA$16.56

$6.62 Ft 2,139

77.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 CA$18.06

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-13.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 CA$6.77

$1.83 Ft 591

161.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$2.05 Ft 661

-28.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.91

$2.37 Ft 765

76.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.51

$3.90 Ft 1,260

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 CA$2.83

$0.99 Ft 320

102.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$1.00 Ft 322

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.58 Ft 511

56.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$0.67 Ft 216

110.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 CA$19.67

$7.96 Ft 2,572

74.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 CA$13.99

$6.22 Ft 2,009

59.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$1.27 Ft 411

40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.03 Ft 654

4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 CA$2.92

$1.52 Ft 490

35.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 CA$79.2

$28.02 Ft 9,053

99.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.13

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-11.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.37 Ft 442

-22.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 CA$24.52

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-12.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.82 Ft 589

-31.32%

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

$24.3K CA$34.4K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-18.34%

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

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-44.41%

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

$120 CA$169

$171 Ft 55.3K

-30.17%

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

$41.55 CA$58.7

$23.51 Ft 7,596

76.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 CA$91.4

$23.29 Ft 7,526

177.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-22.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.03 CA$49.52

$18.89 Ft 6,104

85.44%

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 CA$18.07

$9.30 Ft 3,004

37.42%

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

$378 CA$534

$533 Ft 172.3K

-29.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K CA$15.7K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-33.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.34 CA$68.3

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-51.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.16 CA$49.71

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-19.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$110 Ft 35.7K

-6.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$119 Ft 38.4K

-10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 CA$1,400

$830 Ft 268.3K

19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 CA$1,158

$622 Ft 200.9K

31.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 CA$2,277

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

1.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 CA$1,843

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

11.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,018 CA$2,854

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-65.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 CA$2,959

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-46.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 CA$3,396

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

45.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

6.45

-27.29%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: 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

Saint John, New Brunswick

$819 42.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 24.1% $197

Groceries & Markets

Saint John, New Brunswick

$350 18.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 26.4% $92

Eating Out

Saint John, New Brunswick

$257 13.3%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 13.2% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John, New Brunswick

$226 11.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 3.5% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John, New Brunswick

$131 6.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 27.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John, New Brunswick

$78 4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 10.6% $8.3

Getting Around

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 39% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $990 in Saint John, New Brunswick 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 45% higher in Saint John, New Brunswick, 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 $59.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

21:22 9:22 PM

5 h ahead of Saint John, New Brunswick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,063

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Saint John, New Brunswick Budapest 6,190 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint John, New Brunswick
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 John, New Brunswick vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint John, New Brunswick is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,901 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick 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 100% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $378 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick at $1,934. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John, New Brunswick 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 John, New Brunswick makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.