Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szeged and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Szeged: $1,223 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Szeged
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Szeged Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Szeged

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,223

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Szeged vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Szeged $1,223
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,918 per month in Szeged vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Szeged $1,918
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $2,613 per month in Szeged vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Szeged $2,613
Budapest $3,467

Szeged is about 25% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Szeged sits 10% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.23 Ft 3,041

$13.81 Ft 4,548

-33.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 Ft 19.1K

$61.5 Ft 20.2K

-5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 Ft 2,979

$10.16 Ft 3,345

-11.02%

Cappuccino

$2.37 Ft 781

$3.22 Ft 1,061

-26.40%

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

$1.57 Ft 518

$2.06 Ft 679

-23.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 Ft 431

$1.83 Ft 604

-28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Ft 736

$3.60 Ft 1,187

-38.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 Ft 759

$3.66 Ft 1,207

-36.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Ft 389

$1.19 Ft 392

-0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 Ft 445

$1.87 Ft 616

-27.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 Ft 802

$2.37 Ft 779

2.53%

Eggs

$3.56 Ft 1,174

$3.96 Ft 1,304

-10.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 Ft 3,517

$11.16 Ft 3,677

-4.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 Ft 2,167

$6.76 Ft 2,226

-2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.85 Ft 5,220

$14.35 Ft 4,727

10.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 Ft 720

$1.81 Ft 595

20.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 Ft 742

$2.11 Ft 695

6.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 Ft 658

$2.33 Ft 769

-14.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 Ft 1,099

$3.80 Ft 1,253

-12.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 338

$0.99 Ft 327

4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 Ft 343

$0.98 Ft 324

6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 Ft 525

$1.55 Ft 511

2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 Ft 165

$0.70 Ft 229

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 Ft 2,614

$7.79 Ft 2,567

1.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 Ft 1,705

$6.05 Ft 1,993

-14.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 Ft 405

$1.28 Ft 421

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 Ft 651

$2.04 Ft 671

-2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 Ft 564

$1.55 Ft 511

10.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 Ft 9,449

$27.28 Ft 8,987

5.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 Ft 998

$3.30 Ft 1,086

-8.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 Ft 541

$1.31 Ft 433

25.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.32 Ft 6,034

$20.26 Ft 6,673

-9.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 598

$1.82 Ft 599

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

$26.9K Ft 8.9M

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

-6.21%

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

$35.5K Ft 11.7M

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

7.31%

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

$128 Ft 42.1K

$172 Ft 56.7K

-25.82%

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

$21.90 Ft 7,215

$23.95 Ft 7,890

-8.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.74 Ft 6,504

$23.31 Ft 7,679

-15.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 Ft 16.9K

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-24.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.38 Ft 9,678

$18.91 Ft 6,229

55.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 Ft 2,846

$10.18 Ft 3,353

-15.13%

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

$250 Ft 82.4K

$600 Ft 197.8K

-58.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,580 Ft 2.2M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-60.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 Ft 37.0K

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.50 Ft 10.7K

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

-24.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 Ft 30.8K

$113 Ft 37.2K

-17.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 Ft 36.3K

$117 Ft 38.6K

-5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 Ft 170.6K

$836 Ft 275.4K

-38.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 Ft 123.6K

$640 Ft 210.7K

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 Ft 243.4K

$1,598 Ft 526.5K

-53.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 Ft 202.7K

$1,205 Ft 396.9K

-48.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 Ft 1.1M

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-42.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 Ft 763.0K

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-39.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 Ft 403.2K

$1,671 Ft 550.6K

-26.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.45

3.41%

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

Last update for Szeged: October 26, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szeged

$375 30.7%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 70.5% $265

Groceries & Markets

Szeged

$249 20.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 3.8% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szeged

$169 13.9%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 29.6% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Szeged

$157 12.8%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 6.8% $11

Eating Out

Szeged

$157 12.8%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 40.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Szeged

$69 5.6%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 29.4% $20

Getting Around

Szeged

$47 3.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 7.3% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Szeged versus $836 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 37% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Szeged versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $258 – making Szeged the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szeged

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

Same time as Szeged

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,930

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Szeged vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,834 per month in Szeged and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szeged, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $518 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $250 per month in Szeged and $600 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 Szeged, where all-in costs run around $1,223, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Szeged it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szeged – 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 Szeged. 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.