Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szentendre and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Szentendre: $1,455 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Szentendre
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Szentendre Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Szentendre

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,455

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,455 per month in Szentendre vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Szentendre $1,455
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,091 per month in Szentendre vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Szentendre $2,091
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,726 per month in Szentendre vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Szentendre $2,726
Budapest $3,429

Szentendre is about 10% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Szentendre and Budapest sit above the global median – Szentendre by 8%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.75 Ft 4,118

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-8.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 Ft 18.0K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 Ft 2,923

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-11.19%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Ft 862

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-18.10%

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

$1.90 Ft 613

$2.14 Ft 690

-11.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 Ft 370

$1.78 Ft 577

-35.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 Ft 1,074

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Ft 927

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-23.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 Ft 370

$1.15 Ft 371

-0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 Ft 464

$1.79 Ft 578

-19.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 754

$2.49 Ft 804

-6.43%

Eggs

$3.36 Ft 1,086

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-13.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 Ft 3,636

$11.10 Ft 3,587

1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 Ft 1,963

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-8.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 Ft 4,438

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-6.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 616

$1.83 Ft 591

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 682

$2.05 Ft 661

2.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 Ft 654

$2.37 Ft 765

-14.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-2.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 Ft 325

$0.99 Ft 320

2.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 318

$1.00 Ft 322

-2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 502

$1.58 Ft 511

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 170

$0.67 Ft 216

-20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 Ft 2,532

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 Ft 1,928

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 410

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 Ft 527

$2.03 Ft 654

-19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 Ft 385

$1.52 Ft 490

-21.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.79 Ft 9,302

$28.02 Ft 9,053

2.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 Ft 979

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-8.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 Ft 449

$1.37 Ft 442

1.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.38 Ft 5,938

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-7.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 Ft 619

$1.82 Ft 589

4.95%

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

$28.9K Ft 9.3M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-3.00%

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

$33.7K Ft 10.9M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-0.27%

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

$153 Ft 49.5K

$171 Ft 55.3K

-10.42%

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

$30.94 Ft 9,995

$23.51 Ft 7,596

31.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.11 Ft 7,465

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-0.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.59 Ft 14.7K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-32.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 Ft 6,302

$18.89 Ft 6,104

3.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 Ft 2,513

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-16.34%

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

$493 Ft 159.3K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-7.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K Ft 5.3M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-2.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 Ft 28.9K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-10.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.81 Ft 8,986

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-36.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 Ft 32.0K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 Ft 33.9K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-11.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 Ft 198.1K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 Ft 181.0K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-9.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 Ft 248.7K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-51.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 Ft 223.0K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-41.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,102 Ft 1.0M

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-46.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,848 Ft 1.2M

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-1.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,545 Ft 499.1K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-6.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Szentendre: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szentendre

$560 38.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 11% $62

Groceries & Markets

Szentendre

$242 16.7%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 6.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szentendre

$207 14.3%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 5.1% $11

Eating Out

Szentendre

$196 13.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 14% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Szentendre

$145 9.9%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 15.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Szentendre

$61 4.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 40.9% $25

Getting Around

Szentendre

$44 3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 1.6% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Szentendre versus $830 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 7% 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 $56.0 in Szentendre versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $258 – making Szentendre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szentendre

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

Same time as Szentendre

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,444

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Szentendre vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,182 per month in Szentendre and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szentendre, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

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

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Szentendre and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Szentendre, where all-in costs run around $1,455, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Szentendre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szentendre – 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 Szentendre. 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.