Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songdo-dong and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Songdo-dong: $1,444 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Songdo-dong
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,444
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,444 per month in Songdo-dong vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Songdo-dong $1,444
  • Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,292 per month in Songdo-dong vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Songdo-dong $2,292
  • Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,140 per month in Songdo-dong vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Songdo-dong $3,140
  • Budapest $3,429

Songdo-dong is about 11% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Songdo-dong and Budapest sit above the global median – Songdo-dong by 7%, Budapest by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.87 ₩7,798
$13.94 Ft 4,503
-57.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.90 ₩46.4K
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
-42.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.63 ₩8,816
$10.19 Ft 3,291
-34.94%
Cappuccino
$3.62 ₩4,815
$3.26 Ft 1,055
11.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 ₩2,032
$2.14 Ft 690
-28.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₩777
$1.78 Ft 577
-67.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 ₩4,063
$3.71 Ft 1,198
-17.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 ₩6,067
$3.77 Ft 1,217
20.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.20 ₩2,925
$1.15 Ft 371
91.30%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 ₩4,066
$1.79 Ft 578
70.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 ₩3,126
$2.49 Ft 804
-5.62%
Eggs
$3.33 ₩4,429
$3.90 Ft 1,261
-14.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.79 ₩21.0K
$11.10 Ft 3,587
42.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.80 ₩10.4K
$6.62 Ft 2,139
17.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.34 ₩15.1K
$14.69 Ft 4,745
-22.80%
Apples (1kg)
$7.80 ₩10.4K
$1.83 Ft 591
326.23%
Banana (1kg)
$3.18 ₩4,234
$2.05 Ft 661
55.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.67 ₩10.2K
$2.37 Ft 765
223.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.78 ₩9,017
$3.90 Ft 1,260
73.85%
Potato (1kg)
$3.55 ₩4,720
$0.99 Ft 320
258.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 ₩3,216
$1.00 Ft 322
142.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 ₩2,718
$1.58 Ft 511
29.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 ₩1,960
$0.67 Ft 216
119.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.29 ₩4,379
$7.96 Ft 2,572
-58.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.48 ₩24.6K
$6.22 Ft 2,009
197.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 ₩3,043
$1.27 Ft 411
80.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.03 Ft 654
-
🚌 Getting Around
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.52 Ft 490
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$28.02 Ft 9,053
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 ₩4,836
$3.31 Ft 1,070
9.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.61 ₩817
$1.37 Ft 442
-55.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$19.83 Ft 6,406
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 ₩1,790
$1.82 Ft 589
-25.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.2K ₩38.8M
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
-2.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.7K ₩47.4M
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
5.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 ₩278.6K
$171 Ft 55.3K
22.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$43.59 ₩58.0K
$23.51 Ft 7,596
85.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.61 ₩27.4K
$23.29 Ft 7,526
-11.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.32 ₩15.1K
$9.30 Ft 3,004
21.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$380 ₩505.4K
$533 Ft 172.3K
-28.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.9K ₩23.8M
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
6.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 ₩85.5K
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
-35.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$64.7 ₩86.0K
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
48.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 ₩100.4K
$110 Ft 35.7K
-31.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.0 ₩131.6K
$119 Ft 38.4K
-16.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$830 Ft 268.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$453 ₩602.6K
$622 Ft 200.9K
-27.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,914 ₩2.5M
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
20.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,064 ₩1.4M
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
-9.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Songdo-dong
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,372 ₩4.5M
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
104.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.1
6.45
-36.43%

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

Last update for Songdo-dong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Songdo-dong
$453
Budapest
$622 37.2% $169
Groceries & Markets
Songdo-dong
$408 *
Budapest
$258 36.8% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Songdo-dong
$274
Budapest
$218 20.4% $56
Eating Out
Songdo-dong
$143
Budapest
$223 55.8% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Songdo-dong
$137
Budapest
$168 22.7% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Songdo-dong
$23 *
Budapest
$86 280% $63
Getting Around
Songdo-dong
$6.7 *
Budapest
$44 559% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 104% higher in Songdo-dong, 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 $35.00 in Songdo-dong versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $408 in Songdo-dong vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Songdo-dong
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
04:29 4:29 AM
21:29 9:29 PM
7 h behind Songdo-dong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Songdo-dong Budapest 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Songdo-dong
  • 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
Songdo-dong vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Songdo-dong?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,166 per month in Songdo-dong and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Songdo-dong or in Budapest?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Songdo-dong and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Songdo-dong and in Budapest?
Interestingly, groceries are about 58% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Songdo-dong or in Budapest?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Songdo-dong, where all-in costs run around $1,444, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Songdo-dong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Songdo-dong or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Songdo-dong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Songdo-dong or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Songdo-dong. 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.

Songdo-dong vs other spots: cost of living compared

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