Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Madeira and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira: $1,510 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Budapest despite lower rent and utilities.

73

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
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Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,510

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,510 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $1,510
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,107 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $2,107
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,704 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $2,704
Budapest $3,429

Sao Joao da Madeira is about 7% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sao Joao da Madeira and Budapest sit above the global median – Sao Joao da Madeira by 12%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 €8.95

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-27.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.79 €17.60

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-67.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 €6.98

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-22.96%

Cappuccino

$1.14 €1.01

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-65.03%

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

$1.09 €0.97

$2.14 Ft 690

-49.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$1.78 Ft 577

-45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 €2.95

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-42.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 €0.75

$1.15 Ft 371

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 €0.28

$1.79 Ft 578

-82.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.49 Ft 804

-54.22%

Eggs

$2.68 €2.39

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-31.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-22.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 €4.91

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-16.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 €5.79

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-55.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.83 Ft 591

10.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 €1.20

$2.05 Ft 661

-34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.37 Ft 765

-22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.99 Ft 320

98.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.00 Ft 322

88.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.10

$1.58 Ft 511

-21.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$0.67 Ft 216

46.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.59

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-21.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 €4.03

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.27 Ft 411

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.03 Ft 654

-19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.52 Ft 490

47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.68 €35.29

$28.02 Ft 9,053

41.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 €3.85

$3.31 Ft 1,070

30.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.37 Ft 442

29.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-15.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.82 Ft 589

4.40%

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

$33.1K €29.4K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

11.01%

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

$37.7K €33.5K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

11.38%

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

$110 €97.7

$171 Ft 55.3K

-35.82%

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

$16.96 €15.08

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-27.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 €40.99

$23.29 Ft 7,526

97.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €33.44

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-44.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 €13.42

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-20.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 €4.84

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-41.51%

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

$341 €303

$533 Ft 172.3K

-36.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €8,932

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-40.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 €58.3

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-34.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 €33.42

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-13.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €73.5

$110 Ft 35.7K

-25.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 €87.6

$119 Ft 38.4K

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 €851

$830 Ft 268.3K

15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 €683

$622 Ft 200.9K

23.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,349

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-4.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,035

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-0.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,957 €2,631

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-49.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 €2,017

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-41.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,048 €932

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-36.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

6.45

-44.96%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Joao da Madeira

$768 50.8%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 19% $146

Groceries & Markets

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12.2%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 40% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Joao da Madeira

$173 11.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 26.1% $45

Eating Out

Sao Joao da Madeira

$147 9.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 51.8% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Joao da Madeira

$128 8.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 31% $40

Getting Around

Sao Joao da Madeira

$62 4.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 28.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Joao da Madeira

$48 3.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 77.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 58% 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 $20.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $258 – making Sao Joao da Madeira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

20:30 8:30 PM

21:30 9:30 PM

1 h ahead of Sao Joao da Madeira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,144

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Joao da Madeira Budapest 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sao Joao da Madeira
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 Joao da Madeira vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,265 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Joao da Madeira, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Sao Joao da Madeira. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $341 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Joao da Madeira, where all-in costs run around $1,510, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Sao Joao da Madeira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Joao da Madeira – 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 Joao da Madeira. 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.