Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szekesfehervar and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Szekesfehervar: $1,089 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Szekesfehervar
Learn more

Szekesfehervar Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Szekesfehervar

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,089

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,089 per month in Szekesfehervar vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Szekesfehervar $1,089
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,787 per month in Szekesfehervar vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Szekesfehervar $1,787
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $2,485 per month in Szekesfehervar vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Szekesfehervar $2,485
Budapest $3,467

Szekesfehervar is about 34% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.27 Ft 3,052

$13.81 Ft 4,548

-32.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 Ft 19.3K

$61.5 Ft 20.2K

-4.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.64 Ft 2,846

$10.16 Ft 3,345

-14.96%

Cappuccino

$2.11 Ft 694

$3.22 Ft 1,061

-34.47%

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

$1.39 Ft 457

$2.06 Ft 679

-32.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 Ft 335

$1.83 Ft 604

-44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 Ft 660

$3.60 Ft 1,187

-44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 Ft 758

$3.66 Ft 1,207

-37.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 370

$1.19 Ft 392

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 Ft 443

$1.87 Ft 616

-28.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 821

$2.37 Ft 779

5.06%

Eggs

$3.55 Ft 1,168

$3.96 Ft 1,304

-10.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 Ft 3,485

$11.16 Ft 3,677

-5.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 Ft 2,010

$6.76 Ft 2,226

-9.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 Ft 5,305

$14.35 Ft 4,727

12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 695

$1.81 Ft 595

16.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 Ft 728

$2.11 Ft 695

4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 Ft 650

$2.33 Ft 769

-15.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 Ft 1,019

$3.80 Ft 1,253

-18.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 336

$0.99 Ft 327

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 Ft 362

$0.98 Ft 324

12.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 Ft 539

$1.55 Ft 511

5.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Ft 169

$0.70 Ft 229

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 Ft 2,218

$7.79 Ft 2,567

-13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.05 Ft 1,006

$6.05 Ft 1,993

-49.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 417

$1.28 Ft 421

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 Ft 676

$2.04 Ft 671

0.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 Ft 393

$1.55 Ft 511

-23.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.36 Ft 8,681

$27.28 Ft 8,987

-3.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 Ft 967

$3.30 Ft 1,086

-10.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 Ft 534

$1.31 Ft 433

23.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.45 Ft 6,077

$20.26 Ft 6,673

-8.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 610

$1.82 Ft 599

1.65%

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

$27.1K Ft 8.9M

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

-5.49%

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

$29.9K Ft 9.8M

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

-9.66%

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

$127 Ft 41.8K

$172 Ft 56.7K

-26.23%

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

$27.40 Ft 9,025

$23.95 Ft 7,890

14.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.40 Ft 6,390

$23.31 Ft 7,679

-16.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.83 Ft 14.8K

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-34.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,229

Cinema Ticket

$8.49 Ft 2,798

$10.18 Ft 3,353

-16.60%

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

$243 Ft 79.9K

$600 Ft 197.8K

-59.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,655 Ft 2.2M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-60.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 Ft 22.5K

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

-30.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.45 Ft 8,052

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

-43.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 Ft 24.6K

$113 Ft 37.2K

-33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 Ft 27.0K

$117 Ft 38.6K

-29.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 Ft 129.9K

$836 Ft 275.4K

-52.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 Ft 101.4K

$640 Ft 210.7K

-51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 207.3K

$1,598 Ft 526.5K

-60.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 Ft 215.7K

$1,205 Ft 396.9K

-45.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,372 Ft 1.1M

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-40.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,051 Ft 1.0M

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-19.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,489 Ft 490.3K

$1,671 Ft 550.6K

-10.94%

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 Szekesfehervar: October 27, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szekesfehervar

$308 28.3%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 108% $332

Groceries & Markets

Szekesfehervar

$241 22.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 7.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szekesfehervar

$174 16%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 26.2% $46

Eating Out

Szekesfehervar

$150 13.7%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 47.5% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Szekesfehervar

$112 10.3%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 49.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Szekesfehervar

$62 5.7%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 43.9% $27

Getting Around

Szekesfehervar

$42 3.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 2.8% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Szekesfehervar 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 12% higher in Budapest, 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 $59 in Szekesfehervar versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $258 – making Szekesfehervar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szekesfehervar

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

Same time as Szekesfehervar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

96,024

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Szekesfehervar Budapest 58 km

From you

Szekesfehervar
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

Szekesfehervar vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,633 per month in Szekesfehervar 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 Szekesfehervar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Szekesfehervar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $243 per month in Szekesfehervar 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 Szekesfehervar, where all-in costs run around $1,089, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Szekesfehervar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szekesfehervar – 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 Szekesfehervar. 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.