Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,058 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,822 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,586 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586
Budapest $3,429

Sao Caetano do Sul is about 35% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Caetano do Sul sits 22% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R$44.68

$13.94 Ft 4,525

-36.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$201

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

-34.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 R$44.09

$10.19 Ft 3,307

-13.94%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.98

$3.26 Ft 1,060

-26.99%

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

$1.33 R$6.67

$2.14 Ft 694

-37.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.67

$1.78 Ft 579

-47.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.84

$3.71 Ft 1,204

-36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 R$20.10

$3.77 Ft 1,223

6.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$5.96

$1.15 Ft 372

3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.32

$1.79 Ft 580

14.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.24

$2.49 Ft 808

-42.17%

Eggs

$2.48 R$12.45

$3.90 Ft 1,267

-36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 R$53.8

$11.10 Ft 3,605

-3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 R$27.31

$6.62 Ft 2,149

-17.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 R$54.9

$14.69 Ft 4,769

-25.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 R$12.00

$1.83 Ft 594

30.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.66

$2.05 Ft 664

-16.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.77

$2.37 Ft 769

-34.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 R$10.45

$3.90 Ft 1,266

-46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.03

$0.99 Ft 322

41.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.36

$1.00 Ft 323

26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 R$4.63

$1.58 Ft 514

-41.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.09

$0.67 Ft 217

20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.51

$7.96 Ft 2,585

-68.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 R$45.07

$6.22 Ft 2,019

44.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 R$8.81

$1.27 Ft 413

37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R$12.94

$2.03 Ft 658

27.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 R$3.44

$1.52 Ft 492

-55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,098

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 R$6.65

$3.31 Ft 1,075

-60.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.14

$1.37 Ft 444

-25.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 R$44.55

$19.83 Ft 6,438

-55.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.73

$1.82 Ft 591

-26.37%

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

$24.5K R$123.3K

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

-17.65%

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

$32.6K R$163.7K

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

-3.65%

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

$103 R$518

$171 Ft 55.6K

-39.83%

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

$14.91 R$75.0

$23.51 Ft 7,633

-36.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 R$116

$23.29 Ft 7,563

-1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 R$253

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

-25.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.01 R$231

$18.89 Ft 6,135

143.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.14 R$51.0

$9.30 Ft 3,019

9.03%

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

$437 R$2,196

$533 Ft 173.2K

-18.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K R$56.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-33.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 R$328

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

-34.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 R$288

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

31.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 R$494

$110 Ft 35.8K

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 R$468

$119 Ft 38.6K

-21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R$2,108

$830 Ft 269.6K

-49.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 R$1,562

$622 Ft 201.9K

-50.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 R$4,357

$1,594 Ft 517.4K

-45.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 R$4,361

$1,170 Ft 380.0K

-25.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,890 R$9,500

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-67.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,435 R$7,214

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-63.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$951 R$4,781

$1,651 Ft 536.1K

-42.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

6.45

67.60%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 100% $311

Groceries & Markets

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 11.7% $27

Eating Out

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 44% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 18.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 54.7% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 21.9% $16

Getting Around

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 382% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul 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 74% 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 $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $258 – making Sao Caetano do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

5 h ahead of Sao Caetano do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,655

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Caetano do Sul Budapest 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Caetano do Sul
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

Sao Caetano do Sul 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 eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,588 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul, 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 $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Caetano do Sul, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Sao Caetano do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Caetano do Sul – 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 Sao Caetano do Sul. 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.