Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szombathely and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Szombathely: $1,222 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 Szombathely
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Szombathely Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Szombathely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,222

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Szombathely vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Szombathely $1,222
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,944 per month in Szombathely vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Szombathely $1,944
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in Szombathely vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Szombathely $2,666
Budapest $3,467

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 Ft 3,746

$13.81 Ft 4,526

-17.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 Ft 17.6K

$61.5 Ft 20.1K

-12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 Ft 2,961

$10.16 Ft 3,329

-11.12%

Cappuccino

$2.36 Ft 772

$3.22 Ft 1,056

-26.71%

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

$1.29 Ft 422

$2.06 Ft 676

-37.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 399

$1.83 Ft 601

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 Ft 559

$3.60 Ft 1,181

-52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 Ft 735

$3.66 Ft 1,201

-38.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 390

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 Ft 534

$1.87 Ft 613

-12.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 817

$2.37 Ft 776

5.06%

Eggs

$3.26 Ft 1,068

$3.96 Ft 1,298

-17.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 Ft 3,405

$11.16 Ft 3,659

-6.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 Ft 2,224

$6.76 Ft 2,215

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.03 Ft 5,254

$14.35 Ft 4,704

11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 Ft 729

$1.81 Ft 592

23.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 669

$2.11 Ft 691

-3.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 783

$2.33 Ft 765

2.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 Ft 1,122

$3.80 Ft 1,247

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 Ft 351

$0.99 Ft 325

8.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 Ft 456

$0.98 Ft 322

41.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 Ft 581

$1.55 Ft 509

14.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Ft 180

$0.70 Ft 228

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.90 Ft 2,916

$7.79 Ft 2,554

14.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.45 Ft 1,457

$6.05 Ft 1,983

-26.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 416

$1.28 Ft 419

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 Ft 827

$2.04 Ft 668

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 Ft 271

$1.55 Ft 508

-46.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.83 Ft 8,795

$27.28 Ft 8,943

-1.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 Ft 877

$3.30 Ft 1,081

-19.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 436

$1.31 Ft 430

1.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.51 Ft 7,705

$20.26 Ft 6,640

16.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 594

$1.82 Ft 596

-0.55%

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

$27.3K Ft 9.0M

$28.7K Ft 9.4M

-4.80%

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

$33.0K Ft 10.8M

$33.1K Ft 10.8M

-0.15%

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

$166 Ft 54.5K

$172 Ft 56.4K

-3.36%

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

$20.51 Ft 6,722

$23.95 Ft 7,851

-14.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.05 Ft 6,900

$23.31 Ft 7,641

-9.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Ft 16.7K

$68.6 Ft 22.5K

-25.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.97 Ft 5,890

$18.91 Ft 6,199

-4.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 Ft 1,463

$10.18 Ft 3,337

-56.19%

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

$433 Ft 141.8K

$600 Ft 196.8K

-27.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,571 Ft 2.5M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-54.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 Ft 32.9K

$99.0 Ft 32.5K

1.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 Ft 16.9K

$43.25 Ft 14.2K

19.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 Ft 31.5K

$113 Ft 37.0K

-14.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Ft 36.5K

$117 Ft 38.4K

-5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 Ft 170.9K

$836 Ft 274.1K

-37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 Ft 107.9K

$640 Ft 209.7K

-48.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 Ft 244.7K

$1,598 Ft 523.9K

-53.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 Ft 210.7K

$1,205 Ft 395.0K

-46.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,419 Ft 792.8K

$5,625 Ft 1.8M

-57.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,983 Ft 649.9K

$3,802 Ft 1.2M

-47.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,165 Ft 381.8K

$1,671 Ft 547.9K

-30.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.45

16.28%

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

Last update for Szombathely: 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

Szombathely

$329 26.9%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 94.3% $311

Groceries & Markets

Szombathely

$254 20.8%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 1.6% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szombathely

$208 17%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 5.5% $11

Eating Out

Szombathely

$170 13.9%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 29.9% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Szombathely

$162 13.2%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 3.6% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Szombathely

$60 4.9%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 48.4% $29

Getting Around

Szombathely

$39 3.2%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 9.8% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Szombathely 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 44% higher in Budapest. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Szombathely versus $61 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $258 – making Szombathely the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szombathely

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Szombathely

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,757

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Szombathely 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 Szombathely 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 Szombathely, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $521 there versus $836 in Budapest.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Szombathely and $61 in Budapest. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $433 per month in Szombathely 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 Szombathely, where all-in costs run around $1,222, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Szombathely it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szombathely – 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 Szombathely. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.