Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szolnok and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Szolnok: $1,098 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Szolnok
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Szolnok Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Szolnok

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,098

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,098 per month in Szolnok vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Szolnok $1,098
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,684 per month in Szolnok vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Szolnok $1,684
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $2,270 per month in Szolnok vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Szolnok $2,270
Budapest $3,467

Szolnok is about 33% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Szolnok sits 19% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.47 Ft 3,105

$13.81 Ft 4,526

-31.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.52 Ft 15.2K

$61.5 Ft 20.1K

-24.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 Ft 2,663

$10.16 Ft 3,329

-20.08%

Cappuccino

$2.36 Ft 774

$3.22 Ft 1,056

-26.71%

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

$1.92 Ft 631

$2.06 Ft 676

-6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 Ft 396

$1.83 Ft 601

-33.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 Ft 837

$3.60 Ft 1,181

-29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 Ft 887

$3.66 Ft 1,201

-25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 Ft 310

$1.19 Ft 390

-20.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 Ft 403

$1.87 Ft 613

-34.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 Ft 519

$2.37 Ft 776

-33.33%

Eggs

$3.05 Ft 999

$3.96 Ft 1,298

-22.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 Ft 2,402

$11.16 Ft 3,659

-34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 Ft 2,139

$6.76 Ft 2,215

-3.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.49 Ft 4,421

$14.35 Ft 4,704

-5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 Ft 490

$1.81 Ft 592

-17.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Ft 557

$2.11 Ft 691

-19.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 Ft 498

$2.33 Ft 765

-34.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 783

$3.80 Ft 1,247

-37.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 Ft 208

$0.99 Ft 325

-35.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 Ft 236

$0.98 Ft 322

-26.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Ft 337

$1.55 Ft 509

-33.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 Ft 123

$0.70 Ft 228

-47.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.69 Ft 2,192

$7.79 Ft 2,554

-14.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.60 Ft 1,179

$6.05 Ft 1,983

-40.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 Ft 292

$1.28 Ft 419

-30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 417

$2.04 Ft 668

-37.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 Ft 343

$1.55 Ft 508

-32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.83 Ft 8,467

$27.28 Ft 8,943

-5.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 Ft 972

$3.30 Ft 1,081

-10.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 Ft 738

$1.31 Ft 430

71.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.69 Ft 4,817

$20.26 Ft 6,640

-27.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 Ft 586

$1.82 Ft 596

-1.65%

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

$27.5K Ft 9.0M

$28.7K Ft 9.4M

-4.19%

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

$35.8K Ft 11.7M

$33.1K Ft 10.8M

8.31%

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

$128 Ft 41.9K

$172 Ft 56.4K

-25.71%

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

$29.03 Ft 9,516

$23.95 Ft 7,851

21.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.08 Ft 7,239

$23.31 Ft 7,641

-5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 Ft 13.7K

$68.6 Ft 22.5K

-39.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.19 Ft 5,961

$18.91 Ft 6,199

-3.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.22 Ft 1,054

$10.18 Ft 3,337

-68.37%

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

$152 Ft 50.0K

$600 Ft 196.8K

-74.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,885 Ft 1.6M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-70.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 Ft 26.8K

$99.0 Ft 32.5K

-17.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 Ft 16.5K

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

16.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 Ft 29.0K

$113 Ft 37.0K

-21.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 Ft 38.2K

$117 Ft 38.4K

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 Ft 132.0K

$836 Ft 274.1K

-51.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 Ft 104.5K

$640 Ft 209.7K

-50.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 Ft 209.2K

$1,598 Ft 523.9K

-60.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 Ft 163.0K

$1,205 Ft 395.0K

-58.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,994 Ft 653.7K

$5,625 Ft 1.8M

-64.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,629 Ft 534.1K

$3,802 Ft 1.2M

-57.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,046 Ft 342.7K

$1,671 Ft 547.9K

-37.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.69

6.45

19.22%

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

Last update for Szolnok: October 25, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szolnok

$319 29%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 101% $321

Groceries & Markets

Szolnok

$197 18%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 31% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szolnok

$179 16.3%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 22.6% $40

Eating Out

Szolnok

$159 14.5%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 38.5% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Szolnok

$152 13.8%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 10.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Szolnok

$48 4.4%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 85% $41

Getting Around

Szolnok

$44 4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 2% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Szolnok 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 60% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Szolnok versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $258 – making Szolnok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szolnok

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:13 10:13 PM

Same time as Szolnok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,426

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Szolnok vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,647 per month in Szolnok 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 Szolnok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $403 there versus $836 in Budapest.

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

Kindergarten costs $152 per month in Szolnok and $600 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,098 in Szolnok and $1,638 in Budapest. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Szolnok – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Szolnok. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.