Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Serra: $889 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Serra
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Serra Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$889

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $889 per month in Serra vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Serra $889
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Serra vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Serra $1,317
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,744 per month in Serra vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Serra $1,744
Budapest $3,429

Serra is about 45% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Serra sits 34% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 R$24.16

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-65.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.99 R$117

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-62.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 R$41.58

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-19.53%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.57

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-35.89%

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

$1.34 R$6.77

$2.14 Ft 690

-37.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.15

$1.78 Ft 577

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R$9.88

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-47.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R$15.53

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.70

$1.15 Ft 371

-1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.13

$1.79 Ft 578

0.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$2.49 Ft 804

-53.01%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.87

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-45.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 R$53.2

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-5.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R$23.22

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-30.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 R$43.27

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-41.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 R$14.53

$1.83 Ft 591

56.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.74

$2.05 Ft 661

-25.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$2.37 Ft 765

-22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.20

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-58.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.96

$0.99 Ft 320

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$1.00 Ft 322

11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.58 Ft 511

-15.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.03

$0.67 Ft 216

107.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.62

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-68.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 R$28.59

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.27 Ft 411

-22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R$16.59

$2.03 Ft 654

61.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.93

$1.52 Ft 490

-36.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R$239

$28.02 Ft 9,053

68.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 R$6.66

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-60.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.37 Ft 442

-17.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 R$34.95

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-65.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.82 Ft 589

-40.66%

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

$23.5K R$119.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-21.09%

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

$33.8K R$171.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-0.16%

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

$158 R$803

$171 Ft 55.3K

-7.43%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-47.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.05 R$107

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-9.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 R$131

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-61.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.87 R$141

$18.89 Ft 6,104

47.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 R$37.95

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-19.46%

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

$188 R$955

$533 Ft 172.3K

-64.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,726 R$34.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-59.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R$279

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-44.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 R$259

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

17.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 R$462

$110 Ft 35.7K

-17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 R$377

$119 Ft 38.4K

-37.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,271

$830 Ft 268.3K

-69.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 R$774

$622 Ft 200.9K

-75.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 R$2,261

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-72.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 R$1,117

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-81.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$970 R$4,917

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-83.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 R$2,852

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-85.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$559 R$2,833

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-66.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

70.54%

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

Last update for Serra: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Serra

$212 23.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 21.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serra

$192 21.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 13.6% $26

Accommodation & Living

Serra

$153 17.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 307% $469

Clothing & Footwear

Serra

$122 13.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 37.2% $45

Eating Out

Serra

$111 12.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 100% $112

Getting Around

Serra

$58 6.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 23.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Serra

$41 4.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 111% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Serra 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 195% 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 $23.00 in Serra versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $258 – making Serra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Serra

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

5 h ahead of Serra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,653

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Serra Budapest 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Serra
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

Serra vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,333 per month in Serra 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 Serra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Serra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $188 per month in Serra 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 Serra, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Serra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Serra – 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 Serra. 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.