Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Cristobal de las Casas and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in San Cristobal de las Casas: $925 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in San Cristobal de las Casas
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San Cristobal de las Casas Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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San Cristobal de las Casas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$925

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in San Cristobal de las Casas vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

San Cristobal de las Casas $925
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,420 per month in San Cristobal de las Casas vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

San Cristobal de las Casas $1,420
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,915 per month in San Cristobal de las Casas vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

San Cristobal de las Casas $1,915
Budapest $3,429

San Cristobal de las Casas is about 43% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Cristobal de las Casas sits 31% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 MX$99.0

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-61.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.82 MX$514

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-54.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 MX$112

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-40.43%

Cappuccino

$2.48 MX$45.91

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-23.93%

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

$1.62 MX$29.93

$2.14 Ft 690

-24.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.08

$1.78 Ft 577

-42.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MX$51.8

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$59.8

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-14.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.10

$1.15 Ft 371

22.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 MX$66.1

$1.79 Ft 578

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$29.62

$2.49 Ft 804

-35.74%

Eggs

$2.27 MX$41.91

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-41.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 MX$124

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-39.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 MX$76.0

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-37.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 MX$118

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-56.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$60.9

$1.83 Ft 591

79.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 MX$38.81

$2.05 Ft 661

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.80

$2.37 Ft 765

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MX$26.74

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-62.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$29.75

$0.99 Ft 320

62.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.00 Ft 322

77.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 MX$33.56

$1.58 Ft 511

15.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$29.68

$0.67 Ft 216

140.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.88 MX$34.79

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-76.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 MX$195

$6.22 Ft 2,009

69.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 MX$44.35

$1.27 Ft 411

88.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.27

$2.03 Ft 654

-3.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$10.41

$1.52 Ft 490

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-0.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$49.67

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-18.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 MX$51.6

$1.37 Ft 442

103.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$25.66

$1.82 Ft 589

-23.63%

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

$19.0K MX$351.7K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-36.14%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$32.74 MX$605

$171 Ft 55.3K

-80.87%

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

$14.82 MX$274

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-36.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.42 MX$377

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-12.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.92 MX$423

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-66.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 MX$435

$18.89 Ft 6,104

24.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 MX$124

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-27.63%

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

$208 MX$3,843

$533 Ft 172.3K

-61.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,657 MX$49.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-84.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.35 MX$358

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-80.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.33 MX$505

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-37.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,765

$110 Ft 35.7K

-13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.0 MX$999

$119 Ft 38.4K

-54.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 MX$8,014

$830 Ft 268.3K

-47.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 MX$5,938

$622 Ft 200.9K

-48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 MX$16.4K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-44.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 MX$9,741

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-54.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$835 MX$15.4K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-85.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$664 MX$12.3K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-82.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 MX$7,451

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-75.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.8

6.45

51.94%

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

Last update for San Cristobal de las Casas: 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

San Cristobal de las Casas

$321 34.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 93.6% $301

Groceries & Markets

San Cristobal de las Casas

$242 26.2%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 6.4% $16

Eating Out

San Cristobal de las Casas

$122 13.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 82.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

San Cristobal de las Casas

$88 9.6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 89.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Cristobal de las Casas

$68 7.4%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 221% $150

Getting Around

San Cristobal de las Casas

$47 5.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 5.3% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

San Cristobal de las Casas

$36 3.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 137% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in San Cristobal de las Casas 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 310% higher in Budapest, 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 $28.00 in San Cristobal de las Casas versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $258 – making San Cristobal de las Casas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 San Cristobal de las Casas

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

13:05 1:05 PM

8 h ahead of San Cristobal de las Casas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,509

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Cristobal de las Casas Budapest 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

San Cristobal de las Casas
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

San Cristobal de las Casas vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in San Cristobal de las Casas 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 San Cristobal de las Casas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1% less in San Cristobal de las Casas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in San Cristobal de las Casas and $533 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 San Cristobal de las Casas, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Budapest at $1,619. In San Cristobal de las Casas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Cristobal de las Casas – 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 San Cristobal de las Casas. 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.