Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Louis and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Louis: $830 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Louis
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Saint-Louis Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Saint-Louis

🇸🇳 Senegal

$830

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $830 per month in Saint-Louis vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint-Louis $830
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,322 per month in Saint-Louis vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint-Louis $1,322
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,815 per month in Saint-Louis vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Saint-Louis $1,815
Budapest $3,489

Saint-Louis is about 49% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Saint-Louis sits 38% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 F CFA 2,045

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-74.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 F CFA 6,516

$9.96 Ft 3,244

11.95%

Cappuccino

$3.35 F CFA 1,961

$3.38 Ft 1,102

-0.89%

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

$1.25 F CFA 728

$2.13 Ft 693

-41.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 F CFA 508

$1.87 Ft 609

-53.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 F CFA 1,025

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 F CFA 2,553

$3.57 Ft 1,163

22.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 F CFA 1,458

$1.13 Ft 369

120.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.27 F CFA 159

$1.84 Ft 600

-85.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 980

$2.39 Ft 777

-29.71%

Eggs

$2.45 F CFA 1,431

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-36.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.14 F CFA 10.0K

$11.33 Ft 3,689

51.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 F CFA 5,117

$6.74 Ft 2,194

29.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 F CFA 6,432

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-25.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 F CFA 1,826

$1.84 Ft 598

69.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 F CFA 1,142

$2.01 Ft 654

-2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 F CFA 1,670

$2.36 Ft 767

21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 F CFA 1,010

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-54.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 F CFA 787

$0.96 Ft 314

40.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 F CFA 573

$1.03 Ft 335

-4.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 F CFA 630

$1.56 Ft 509

-30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 F CFA 410

$0.66 Ft 216

6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 F CFA 1,241

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-73.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.91 F CFA 9,885

$6.01 Ft 1,956

181.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 F CFA 895

$1.30 Ft 422

17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 F CFA 1,968

$2.08 Ft 677

62.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 F CFA 522

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-73.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 F CFA 1,241

$1.30 Ft 424

63.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 F CFA 10.1K

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-12.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 F CFA 991

$1.81 Ft 591

-6.08%

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

$50.9K F CFA 29.7M

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

73.51%

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

$48.6K F CFA 28.4M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

42.44%

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

$206 F CFA 120.7K

$170 Ft 55.3K

21.48%

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

$11.46 F CFA 6,701

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-52.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.89 F CFA 27.4K

$23.42 Ft 7,628

100.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 F CFA 5,048

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-9.24%

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

$320 F CFA 186.8K

$537 Ft 174.8K

-40.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-37.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 F CFA 34.4K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-41.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.28 F CFA 26.5K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 F CFA 50.0K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-24.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 F CFA 55.5K

$119 Ft 38.7K

-19.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 F CFA 254.2K

$805 Ft 262.2K

-45.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

6.43

36.08%

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

Last update for Saint-Louis: 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

Saint-Louis

$287 34.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 10.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint-Louis

$265 31.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 17.9% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Saint-Louis

$128 15.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 32% $41

Eating Out

Saint-Louis

$128 15.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 75.7% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Saint-Louis

$17 * 2.1%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 394% $68

Getting Around

Saint-Louis

$12 * 1.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 277% $32

Accommodation & Living

Saint-Louis

- * 0%

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Saint-Louis 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Saint-Louis versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Saint-Louis vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Saint-Louis

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

2 h ahead of Saint-Louis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Saint-Louis Budapest 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,245 per month in Saint-Louis 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 Saint-Louis, 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 $53.0 in Saint-Louis and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Louis, where all-in costs run around $830, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Saint-Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint-Louis – 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 Saint-Louis. 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.