Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,024

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,024 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,024
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,089 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,089
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,154 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,154
Budapest $3,489

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador costs about 25% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Budapest sit above the global median – St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador by 51%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 CA$24.66

$13.99 Ft 4,555

23.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.9

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

16.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 CA$16.70

$9.96 Ft 3,244

17.87%

Cappuccino

$4.07 CA$5.79

$3.38 Ft 1,102

20.41%

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

$2.58 CA$3.66

$2.13 Ft 693

21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 CA$3.04

$1.87 Ft 609

14.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 CA$7.08

$3.75 Ft 1,222

32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CA$7.44

$3.57 Ft 1,163

46.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 CA$4.29

$1.13 Ft 369

167.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 CA$4.27

$1.84 Ft 600

63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.90

$2.39 Ft 777

73.22%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.39

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.27

$11.33 Ft 3,689

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 CA$18.56

$6.74 Ft 2,194

93.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 CA$16.76

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 CA$6.71

$1.84 Ft 598

156.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.14

$2.01 Ft 654

44.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.78 CA$6.80

$2.36 Ft 767

102.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.17

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-22.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.76

$0.96 Ft 314

175.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CA$3.08

$1.03 Ft 335

110.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.89

$1.56 Ft 509

75.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.80

$0.66 Ft 216

198.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.42 CA$19.09

$7.96 Ft 2,594

68.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.98

$6.01 Ft 1,956

157.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.09 CA$5.81

$1.30 Ft 422

214.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 CA$5.95

$2.08 Ft 677

100.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 CA$2.54

$1.50 Ft 490

18.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 CA$77.3

$27.61 Ft 8,991

96.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 CA$4.36

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-6.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$1.30 Ft 424

36.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.99 CA$41.23

$19.78 Ft 6,442

46.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.81 Ft 591

-26.52%

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

$27.5K CA$39.1K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-6.20%

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

$21.5K CA$30.6K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-36.97%

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

$177 CA$252

$170 Ft 55.3K

4.25%

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

$40.72 CA$57.9

$23.98 Ft 7,809

69.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 CA$107

$23.42 Ft 7,628

222.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 CA$93.8

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-0.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 CA$26.10

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-4.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 CA$14.89

$9.52 Ft 3,101

9.98%

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

$530 CA$754

$537 Ft 174.8K

-1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,977 CA$14.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-39.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 CA$92.9

$101 Ft 33.0K

-35.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.72 CA$70.7

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 CA$111

$113 Ft 36.7K

-30.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 CA$133

$119 Ft 38.7K

-21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 CA$1,387

$805 Ft 262.2K

21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 CA$1,124

$629 Ft 204.9K

25.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 CA$2,192

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-0.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 CA$1,947

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

17.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 CA$2,807

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-64.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,531 CA$2,177

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-61.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,734 CA$3,889

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

68.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

6.43

-28.93%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: 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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$790 38.4%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 20.4% $161

Groceries & Markets

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$408 19.8%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 36.9% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$293 14.3%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 25.9% $76

Eating Out

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$277 13.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 19% $53

Clothing & Footwear

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$129 6.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 31.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$87 4.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 1.9% $1.6

Getting Around

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$73 3.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 40.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 68% higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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 $70.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $408 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

03:26 3:26 AM

4 h 30 min ahead of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,525

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Budapest 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,036 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 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 97% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador at $2,024. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.