Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sidon and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidon: $1,001 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Sidon
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Sidon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sidon

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,001

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,001 per month in Sidon vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Sidon $1,001
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,606 per month in Sidon vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Sidon $1,606
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,210 per month in Sidon vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Sidon $2,210
Budapest $3,429

Sidon is about 38% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Sidon sits 26% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 LBP 1.1M

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-12.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

13.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 LBP 886.1K

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-2.85%

Cappuccino

$4.61 LBP 412.5K

$3.26 Ft 1,055

41.41%

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

$2.35 LBP 210.4K

$2.14 Ft 690

9.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 LBP 74.6K

$1.78 Ft 577

-53.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 LBP 454.6K

$3.71 Ft 1,198

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 LBP 415.2K

$3.77 Ft 1,217

23.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 LBP 172.6K

$1.15 Ft 371

67.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 LBP 75.6K

$1.79 Ft 578

-53.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 LBP 202.7K

$2.49 Ft 804

-8.84%

Eggs

$3.55 LBP 317.4K

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.91 LBP 976.8K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-1.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 LBP 947.8K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

59.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 LBP 1.3M

$14.69 Ft 4,745

0.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 LBP 269.9K

$1.83 Ft 591

65.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 LBP 151.8K

$2.05 Ft 661

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 LBP 151.6K

$2.37 Ft 765

-28.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 LBP 137.0K

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-60.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 LBP 108.4K

$0.99 Ft 320

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 LBP 138.0K

$1.00 Ft 322

54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 LBP 103.5K

$1.58 Ft 511

-26.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 LBP 65.6K

$0.67 Ft 216

8.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 LBP 271.3K

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-61.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 LBP 966.0K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 LBP 114.1K

$1.27 Ft 411

0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 LBP 221.0K

$2.03 Ft 654

21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 LBP 450.2K

$3.31 Ft 1,070

51.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 LBP 195.6K

$1.37 Ft 442

59.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

$19.83 Ft 6,406

12.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 LBP 98.2K

$1.82 Ft 589

-39.56%

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

$54.1K LBP 4.8B

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

81.60%

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

$32.1K LBP 2.9B

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-5.08%

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

$233 LBP 20.8M

$171 Ft 55.3K

35.99%

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

$21.86 LBP 2.0M

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-7.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.35 LBP 3.3M

$23.29 Ft 7,526

60.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 LBP 890.8K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

6.99%

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

$685 LBP 61.3M

$533 Ft 172.3K

28.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K LBP 942.4M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-37.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 LBP 6.1M

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-31.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 LBP 4.5M

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

15.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.4M

$110 Ft 35.7K

25.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 LBP 10.7M

$119 Ft 38.4K

0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

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 Sidon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sidon

$292 29.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 25.3% $74

Groceries & Markets

Sidon

$274 27.4%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 5.8% $16

Eating Out

Sidon

$230 23%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 3.1% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Sidon

$169 16.9%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sidon

$20 * 2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 333% $66

Getting Around

Sidon

$16 * 1.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 177% $28

Accommodation & Living

Sidon

- * 0%

Budapest

$622 38.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Sidon versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Sidon

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

1 h behind Sidon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

163,554

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇧 Lebanese Pound (ل.ل)

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

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 LBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sidon Budapest 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sidon
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

Sidon 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 leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,501 per month in Sidon and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Sidon and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sidon, where all-in costs run around $1,001, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Sidon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sidon – 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 Sidon. 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.