Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Salalah: $1,059 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Salalah
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Salalah Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Salalah

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,059

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,059 per month in Salalah vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Salalah $1,059
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Salalah vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Salalah $1,599
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,138 per month in Salalah vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Salalah $2,138
Budapest $3,489

Salalah is about 35% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 OMR 2.05

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-62.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.43 OMR 10.17

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-56.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.97 OMR 4.99

$9.96 Ft 3,241

30.22%

Cappuccino

$6.09 OMR 2.34

$3.38 Ft 1,100

80.18%

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

$0.90 OMR 0.35

$2.13 Ft 692

-57.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$1.87 Ft 608

-86.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.33 OMR 3.59

$3.75 Ft 1,221

148.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.30 OMR 3.96

$3.57 Ft 1,162

188.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 OMR 0.74

$1.13 Ft 368

70.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 OMR 0.47

$1.84 Ft 599

-33.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 OMR 1.03

$2.39 Ft 777

11.30%

Eggs

$1.82 OMR 0.70

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-52.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 OMR 1.76

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-59.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 OMR 1.78

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-31.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 OMR 2.55

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-55.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 OMR 0.74

$1.84 Ft 597

3.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$2.01 Ft 653

-6.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.82

$2.36 Ft 767

-10.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-50.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 OMR 0.59

$0.96 Ft 313

58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.03 Ft 334

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 OMR 0.40

$1.56 Ft 509

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 OMR 0.18

$0.66 Ft 216

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 OMR 2.25

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-26.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 OMR 7.60

$6.01 Ft 1,954

228.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 OMR 1.47

$1.30 Ft 421

193.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 OMR 1.83

$2.08 Ft 676

128.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$1.50 Ft 489

-12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 OMR 21.27

$27.61 Ft 8,982

100.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$1.30 Ft 424

1.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 OMR 4.42

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-41.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$1.81 Ft 591

-66.30%

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

$20.8K OMR 8,004

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-29.11%

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

$18.3K OMR 7,048

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-46.33%

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

$78.1 OMR 30.07

$170 Ft 55.3K

-54.04%

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

$49.55 OMR 19.08

$23.98 Ft 7,802

106.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 OMR 28.59

$23.42 Ft 7,621

217.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 OMR 15.24

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-40.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 OMR 10.10

$19.18 Ft 6,239

36.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 OMR 3.01

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-17.96%

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

$106 OMR 40.78

$537 Ft 174.6K

-80.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,942 OMR 747

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-88.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.74 OMR 11.06

$101 Ft 33.0K

-71.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.76 OMR 11.84

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-28.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 OMR 22.23

$113 Ft 36.7K

-48.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 OMR 17.79

$119 Ft 38.6K

-61.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 OMR 96.5

$805 Ft 262.0K

-68.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 OMR 79.0

$629 Ft 204.7K

-67.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 OMR 247

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 OMR 147

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-67.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 OMR 763

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-64.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,240 OMR 477

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-68.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,771 OMR 682

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

8.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

6.43

-28.77%

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

Last update for Salalah: 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

Salalah

$229 21.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 12.3% $28

Eating Out

Salalah

$226 21.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 0.9% $2.1

Accommodation & Living

Salalah

$205 19.3%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 207% $424

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salalah

$202 19%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 7.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Salalah

$74 6.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 130% $96

Getting Around

Salalah

$69 6.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 37.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Salalah

$55 5.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 54.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Salalah 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 9% higher in Salalah, 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 $26.00 in Salalah versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $258 – making Salalah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Salalah

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

2 h behind Salalah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

178,469

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 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 OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Salalah Budapest 4,660 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Salalah
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

Salalah vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,589 per month in Salalah 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 Salalah, 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 Salalah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $106 per month in Salalah and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Salalah, where all-in costs run around $1,059, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Salalah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salalah – 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 Salalah. 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.