Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,197 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,197

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,197 per month in San Juan vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

San Juan $2,197
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,317 per month in San Juan vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

San Juan $3,317
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,436 per month in San Juan vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

San Juan $4,436
Budapest $3,489

San Juan costs about 35% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Juan and Budapest sit above the global median – San Juan by 64%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.95 $18.95

$13.99 Ft 4,551

35.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

35.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-9.54%

Cappuccino

$3.63 $3.63

$3.38 Ft 1,100

7.40%

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

$1.92 $1.92

$2.13 Ft 692

-9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.87 Ft 608

-22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.57 Ft 1,162

43.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.13 Ft 368

91.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.84 Ft 599

97.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.39 Ft 777

0.42%

Eggs

$7.30 $7.30

$3.83 Ft 1,245

90.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$11.33 Ft 3,686

10.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$6.74 Ft 2,192

47.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-10.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.84 Ft 597

172.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.01 Ft 653

27.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.36 Ft 767

104.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.77 Ft 1,226

24.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$0.96 Ft 313

284.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.03 Ft 334

277.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.56 Ft 509

114.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.66 Ft 216

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$7.96 Ft 2,591

49.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$6.01 Ft 1,954

156.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.30 Ft 421

129.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.08 Ft 676

87.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.50 Ft 489

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.65 $29.65

$27.61 Ft 8,982

7.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-23.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.30 Ft 424

17.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.18 $41.18

$19.78 Ft 6,436

108.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.81 Ft 591

-32.04%

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

$39.7K $39.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

35.48%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-17.76%

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

$323 $323

$170 Ft 55.3K

90.14%

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

$70.0 $70.0

$23.98 Ft 7,802

191.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$23.42 Ft 7,621

199.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 $41.55

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-37.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 $7.78

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-59.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 $10.57

$9.52 Ft 3,098

11.03%

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

$814 $814

$537 Ft 174.6K

51.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-25.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$101 Ft 33.0K

-45.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 $61.6

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

43.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$113 Ft 36.7K

-5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$119 Ft 38.6K

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$805 Ft 262.0K

122.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 $847

$629 Ft 204.7K

34.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 $2,872

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

85.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 $1,496

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

28.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 $7,513

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

33.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,351 $3,351

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-15.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,674 $2,674

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

64.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.43

1.87%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$847 37.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 25.7% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$463 20.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 53.1% $246

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$412 18.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 37.5% $154

Eating Out

San Juan

$261 11.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 14% $36

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$152 6.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 11.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$63 2.8%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 36% $23

Getting Around

San Juan

$43 1.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 1.1% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,791 in San Juan 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 64% higher in San Juan, 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 $82.0 in San Juan versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 San Juan

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

6 h ahead of San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,854 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Between locations

San Juan Budapest 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Juan vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Juan is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,295 per month in San Juan 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 7% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $814 per month in San Juan 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 San Juan at $2,197. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan 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, San Juan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.