Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sohar: $1,403 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

69

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,403

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,403 per month in Sohar vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Sohar $1,403
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,068 per month in Sohar vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Sohar $2,068
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Sohar vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Sohar $2,734
Budapest $3,489

Sohar is about 13% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sohar and Budapest sit above the global median – Sohar by 5%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 OMR 2.49

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-53.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.49 OMR 7.89

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-66.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 OMR 3.54

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-7.73%

Cappuccino

$4.77 OMR 1.84

$3.38 Ft 1,102

41.12%

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

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$2.13 Ft 693

-69.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 OMR 0.11

$1.87 Ft 609

-85.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.24 OMR 5.10

$3.75 Ft 1,222

253.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.46 OMR 5.57

$3.57 Ft 1,163

305.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 OMR 0.81

$1.13 Ft 369

86.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 OMR 0.43

$1.84 Ft 600

-39.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 OMR 1.24

$2.39 Ft 777

35.15%

Eggs

$2.74 OMR 1.05

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-28.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 OMR 5.12

$11.33 Ft 3,689

17.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 OMR 3.58

$6.74 Ft 2,194

37.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 OMR 5.60

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 OMR 1.24

$1.84 Ft 598

75.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 OMR 0.84

$2.01 Ft 654

8.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 OMR 0.96

$2.36 Ft 767

5.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-67.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$0.96 Ft 314

81.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.03 Ft 335

73.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 OMR 0.66

$1.56 Ft 509

8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 OMR 0.35

$0.66 Ft 216

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 OMR 2.25

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-26.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.80 OMR 9.93

$6.01 Ft 1,956

329.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 OMR 1.46

$1.30 Ft 422

191.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.71 OMR 3.35

$2.08 Ft 677

318.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 OMR 1.01

$1.50 Ft 490

75.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 OMR 19.65

$27.61 Ft 8,991

84.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 OMR 1.23

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-3.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 OMR 0.61

$1.30 Ft 424

21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 OMR 3.93

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-48.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.81 Ft 591

-66.85%

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

$18.4K OMR 7,099

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-37.11%

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

$20.3K OMR 7,828

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-40.37%

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

$102 OMR 39.40

$170 Ft 55.3K

-39.77%

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

$29.06 OMR 11.19

$23.98 Ft 7,809

21.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.2 OMR 34.71

$23.42 Ft 7,628

285.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 OMR 19.02

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-25.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 OMR 4.45

$9.52 Ft 3,101

21.43%

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

$303 OMR 117

$537 Ft 174.8K

-43.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,070 OMR 2,721

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-57.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 OMR 19.30

$101 Ft 33.0K

-50.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.95 OMR 16.92

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 OMR 30.17

$113 Ft 36.7K

-30.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.23 OMR 17.79

$119 Ft 38.7K

-61.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 OMR 194

$805 Ft 262.2K

-37.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 OMR 146

$629 Ft 204.9K

-39.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 OMR 318

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 OMR 256

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-43.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,178 OMR 453

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-79.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 OMR 295

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-80.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,514 OMR 968

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

54.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.43

-1.56%

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

Last update for Sohar: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sohar

$378 26.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 66.4% $251

Groceries & Markets

Sohar

$346 24.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 25.5% $88

Eating Out

Sohar

$235 16.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 4.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sohar

$222 15.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 1.9% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Sohar

$98 6.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 71.8% $71

Getting Around

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 40.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 17.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $503 in Sohar 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 55% higher in Sohar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Sohar versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $346 in Sohar vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sohar

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

2 h behind Sohar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sohar Budapest 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sohar
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

Sohar vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,104 per month in Sohar 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 Sohar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Sohar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Sohar and $537 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 Sohar, where all-in costs run around $1,403, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Sohar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sohar – 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 Sohar. 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.