Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $1,003 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Sao Carlos vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,003
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,742 per month in Sao Carlos vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,742
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,480 per month in Sao Carlos vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Carlos $2,480
Budapest $3,489

Sao Carlos is about 38% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Carlos sits 25% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 R$25.69

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-63.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.83 R$204

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-32.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 R$35.74

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-28.11%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.42

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-38.17%

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

$1.35 R$6.74

$2.13 Ft 692

-36.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.87 Ft 608

-59.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.14

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-56.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.70

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-23.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R$6.81

$1.13 Ft 368

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$9.83

$1.84 Ft 599

7.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.32

$2.39 Ft 777

-21.76%

Eggs

$2.88 R$14.36

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 R$63.0

$11.33 Ft 3,686

11.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 R$27.04

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-19.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 R$47.59

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-35.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 R$13.40

$1.84 Ft 597

45.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.50

$2.01 Ft 653

-5.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.04

$2.36 Ft 767

-23.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.55

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-49.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$0.96 Ft 313

73.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.14

$1.03 Ft 334

38.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R$4.87

$1.56 Ft 509

-37.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R$5.80

$0.66 Ft 216

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 R$15.74

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-60.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 R$42.96

$6.01 Ft 1,954

43.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.32

$1.30 Ft 421

13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.75

$2.08 Ft 676

41.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.50 Ft 489

-32.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 R$118

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-14.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 R$7.42

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-54.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 R$4.86

$1.30 Ft 424

-25.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 R$18.16

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-81.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.08

$1.81 Ft 591

-32.60%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-30.42%

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

$31.9K R$159.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-6.50%

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

$63.2 R$316

$170 Ft 55.3K

-62.80%

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

$13.95 R$69.7

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-41.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.86 R$124

$23.42 Ft 7,621

6.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 R$170

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-48.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.34 R$241

$19.18 Ft 6,239

152.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 R$27.07

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-43.07%

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

$297 R$1,481

$537 Ft 174.6K

-44.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,987 R$14.9K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-82.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 R$421

$101 Ft 33.0K

-16.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.3 R$486

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

126.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 R$693

$113 Ft 36.7K

23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 R$819

$119 Ft 38.6K

38.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 R$1,336

$805 Ft 262.0K

-66.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,172

$629 Ft 204.7K

-62.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,349

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-56.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 R$3,300

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-43.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,237

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-84.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 R$3,744

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-81.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$693 R$3,460

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-57.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

6.43

67.19%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Carlos

$244 24.7%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 5.7% $14

Accommodation & Living

Sao Carlos

$235 23.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 168% $395

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 22.4% $49

Eating Out

Sao Carlos

$110 11.1%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 104% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Carlos

$102 10.3%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 113% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Carlos

$45 4.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 89.7% $40

Getting Around

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 27.2% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $268 in Sao Carlos 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 135% 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 $41.00 in Sao Carlos versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $258 – making Sao Carlos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

10:34 10:34 AM

5 h ahead of Sao Carlos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,857

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 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 BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Carlos Budapest 10,190 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Carlos
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 Carlos vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,505 per month in Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Sao Carlos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Sao Carlos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Carlos – 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 Carlos. 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.