Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,059 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie $2,059
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,008 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie $3,008
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $3,956 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie $3,956
Budapest $3,483

Sault Ste. Marie costs about 25% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Sault Ste. Marie and Budapest sit above the global median – Sault Ste. Marie by 52%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 CA$24.28

$14.04 Ft 4,536

22.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$99.8

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 CA$14.46

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-1.35%

Cappuccino

$3.47 CA$4.90

$3.46 Ft 1,117

0.29%

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

$1.64 CA$2.32

$2.07 Ft 669

-20.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$1.77 Ft 572

-23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 CA$6.62

$3.69 Ft 1,191

26.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CA$7.07

$3.80 Ft 1,229

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$1.16 Ft 374

108.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.85 Ft 598

15.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.63

$2.40 Ft 776

36.25%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.22

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-25.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 CA$11.76

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-27.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 CA$14.10

$6.87 Ft 2,221

45.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 CA$14.86

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-27.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$1.88 Ft 607

67.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 CA$1.40

$2.14 Ft 693

-53.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$2.30 Ft 744

33.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.01

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-12.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 CA$2.79

$1.02 Ft 329

93.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$0.99 Ft 320

70.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 CA$3.92

$1.58 Ft 510

75.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$0.70 Ft 225

81.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.75 CA$22.26

$8.03 Ft 2,594

96.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 CA$15.08

$6.18 Ft 1,997

72.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.60

$1.24 Ft 401

48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.23

$2.06 Ft 666

10.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.59 Ft 513

40.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 CA$81.2

$27.52 Ft 8,893

108.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$3.43 Ft 1,110

1.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 CA$3.26

$1.33 Ft 431

73.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.97 CA$32.47

$20.45 Ft 6,607

12.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.52

$1.93 Ft 624

-44.04%

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

$26.5K CA$37.5K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-9.08%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-41.65%

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

$174 CA$246

$175 Ft 56.4K

-0.20%

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

$44.36 CA$62.7

$23.62 Ft 7,631

87.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 CA$108

$23.60 Ft 7,625

224.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 CA$71.0

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-27.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.90

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-8.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 CA$15.80

$10.31 Ft 3,333

8.44%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,984 CA$7,046

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-70.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.63 CA$64.5

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-54.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.58 CA$50.3

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-17.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 CA$106

$112 Ft 36.1K

-33.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$170

$119 Ft 38.4K

1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 CA$1,262

$832 Ft 268.8K

7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 CA$1,316

$629 Ft 203.3K

48.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 CA$1,873

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-16.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 CA$2,057

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

21.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,868 CA$2,640

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-67.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,432 CA$7,679

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

37.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,049 CA$4,310

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

78.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

6.45

-14.26%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 20, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sault Ste. Marie

$931 45.2%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 32.4% $302

Groceries & Markets

Sault Ste. Marie

$299 14.5%

Budapest

$262 16% 12.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sault Ste. Marie

$295 14.3%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 24.9% $73

Eating Out

Sault Ste. Marie

$255 12.4%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 11.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 6%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 35.4% $44

Getting Around

Sault Ste. Marie

$81 4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 46% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Sault Ste. Marie

$73 3.5%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 23.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $832 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 78% higher in Sault Ste. Marie, 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 $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

17:31 5:31 PM

6 h ahead of Sault Ste. Marie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,368

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Sault Ste. Marie Budapest 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sault Ste. Marie
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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

Sault Ste. Marie vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sault Ste. Marie is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,089 per month in Sault Ste. Marie and $2,461 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 109% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Sault Ste. Marie, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Sault Ste. Marie at $2,059. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sault Ste. Marie 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, Sault Ste. Marie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.