Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,236 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Surrey
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Surrey Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Surrey

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,236

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,236 per month in Surrey vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Surrey $2,236
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,522 per month in Surrey vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Surrey $3,522
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,808 per month in Surrey vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Surrey $4,808
Budapest $3,489

Surrey costs about 38% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Surrey and Budapest sit above the global median – Surrey by 67%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.87 CA$25.48

$13.99 Ft 4,551

27.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 CA$78.7

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-8.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 CA$14.62

$9.96 Ft 3,241

3.01%

Cappuccino

$3.63 CA$5.18

$3.38 Ft 1,100

7.40%

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

$2.11 CA$3.00

$2.13 Ft 692

-0.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.23

$1.87 Ft 608

-16.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 CA$8.05

$3.75 Ft 1,221

50.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 CA$8.48

$3.57 Ft 1,162

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.42

$1.13 Ft 368

112.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CA$2.91

$1.84 Ft 599

10.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 CA$5.09

$2.39 Ft 777

49.37%

Eggs

$3.23 CA$4.61

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 CA$13.73

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.29 CA$14.66

$6.74 Ft 2,192

52.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 CA$27.89

$14.69 Ft 4,780

33.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.48

$1.84 Ft 597

70.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.86

$2.01 Ft 653

-34.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.20

$2.36 Ft 767

24.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.20

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-21.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.62

$0.96 Ft 313

164.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 CA$2.92

$1.03 Ft 334

99.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 CA$2.82

$1.56 Ft 509

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.56

$0.66 Ft 216

172.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.93 CA$19.86

$7.96 Ft 2,591

75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 CA$20.12

$6.01 Ft 1,954

134.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CA$3.51

$1.30 Ft 421

89.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.35

$2.08 Ft 676

46.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 CA$3.81

$1.50 Ft 489

78.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CA$150

$27.61 Ft 8,982

282.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 CA$3.66

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-22.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.13

$1.30 Ft 424

14.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.20 CA$38.77

$19.78 Ft 6,436

37.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.86

$1.81 Ft 591

-27.62%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-5.20%

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

$18.5K CA$26.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-45.87%

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

$185 CA$263

$170 Ft 55.3K

8.70%

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

$36.28 CA$51.7

$23.98 Ft 7,802

51.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 CA$90.1

$23.42 Ft 7,621

169.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.52 CA$49.21

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-47.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.21 CA$35.93

$19.18 Ft 6,239

31.44%

Cinema Ticket

$12.70 CA$18.10

$9.52 Ft 3,098

33.40%

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

$832 CA$1,186

$537 Ft 174.6K

55.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$17.0K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-28.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 CA$78.7

$101 Ft 33.0K

-45.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 CA$85.9

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

40.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 CA$137

$113 Ft 36.7K

-14.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 CA$126

$119 Ft 38.6K

-25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 CA$1,891

$805 Ft 262.0K

64.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 CA$1,497

$629 Ft 204.7K

66.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 CA$3,815

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

72.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 CA$2,972

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

78.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,553 CA$13.6K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

70.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,388 CA$12.0K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

111.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,988 CA$4,260

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

83.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

6.43

-24.26%

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

Last update for Surrey: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surrey

$1.1K 46.1%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 40.1% $421

Groceries & Markets

Surrey

$348 15.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 26.1% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surrey

$284 12.5%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 23.5% $67

Eating Out

Surrey

$272 12%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 17.6% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Surrey

$135 5.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 25.3% $34

Getting Around

Surrey

$126 5.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 65.6% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Surrey

$60 2.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 42.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,327 in Surrey 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 84% higher in Surrey, 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 $55.0 in Surrey versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $348 in Surrey vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Surrey

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

9 h ahead of Surrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

517,887

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 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

Surrey Budapest 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Surrey
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

Surrey vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surrey is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,353 per month in Surrey 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 282% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $832 per month in Surrey 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 Surrey at $2,236. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Surrey 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, Surrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.