Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,627 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
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Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,627

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,627 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,627
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $5,355 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,355
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $7,083 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,083
Budapest $3,489

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 124% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tel Aviv-Yafo and Budapest sit above the global median – Tel Aviv-Yafo by 171%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.58 ₪81.3

$13.99 Ft 4,551

89.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 ₪393

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

113.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.71 ₪63.4

$9.96 Ft 3,241

107.93%

Cappuccino

$5.49 ₪16.81

$3.38 Ft 1,100

62.43%

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

$4.06 ₪12.43

$2.13 Ft 692

90.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₪9.91

$1.87 Ft 608

73.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.03 ₪33.75

$3.75 Ft 1,221

194.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 ₪34.64

$3.57 Ft 1,162

217.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 ₪7.94

$1.13 Ft 368

130.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.48 ₪13.72

$1.84 Ft 599

143.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 ₪11.71

$2.39 Ft 777

60.25%

Eggs

$5.32 ₪16.29

$3.83 Ft 1,245

38.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.03 ₪67.4

$11.33 Ft 3,686

94.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.17 ₪49.47

$6.74 Ft 2,192

139.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.43 ₪77.8

$14.69 Ft 4,780

73.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 ₪14.33

$1.84 Ft 597

154.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.96 ₪12.11

$2.01 Ft 653

97.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₪7.74

$2.36 Ft 767

7.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 ₪10.19

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-11.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 ₪5.85

$0.96 Ft 313

98.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ₪5.84

$1.03 Ft 334

85.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 ₪7.97

$1.56 Ft 509

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₪8.05

$0.66 Ft 216

298.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.56 ₪44.56

$7.96 Ft 2,591

82.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 ₪49.29

$6.01 Ft 1,954

168.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 ₪11.56

$1.30 Ft 421

190.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 ₪14.58

$2.08 Ft 676

129.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.84

$1.50 Ft 489

70.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 ₪310

$27.61 Ft 8,982

267.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 ₪13.02

$3.30 Ft 1,074

28.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ₪3.39

$1.30 Ft 424

-14.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.53 ₪59.8

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 ₪8.08

$1.81 Ft 591

45.86%

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

$56.3K ₪172.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

91.99%

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

$57.5K ₪176.0K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

68.63%

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

$451 ₪1,381

$170 Ft 55.3K

165.62%

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

$11.34 ₪34.68

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-52.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.33 ₪111

$23.42 Ft 7,621

55.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 ₪339

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

67.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₪70.5

$19.18 Ft 6,239

20.13%

Cinema Ticket

$16.19 ₪49.54

$9.52 Ft 3,098

70.06%

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

$1,727 ₪5,286

$537 Ft 174.6K

221.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪95.4K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

87.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 ₪379

$101 Ft 33.0K

22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.7 ₪265

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

101.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$175 ₪536

$113 Ft 36.7K

55.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 ₪611

$119 Ft 38.6K

68.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 ₪6,941

$805 Ft 262.0K

181.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 ₪4,979

$629 Ft 204.7K

158.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,597 ₪11.0K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

132.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 ₪8,411

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

135.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.3K ₪62.1K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

261.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.2K ₪40.5K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

233.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,179 ₪12.8K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

157.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

6.43

-21.77%

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

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 45%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 61.3% $998

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$517 14.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 50.1% $259

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$499 13.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 56.5% $282

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$448 12.4%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 49.9% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$264 7.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 35.8% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$143 4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 40.4% $58

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$121 3.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 64.2% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,269 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $805 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 157% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 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 $129 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $517 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

04:12 4:12 AM

1 h behind Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.327 USD

1 ILS = 0.291 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.06 ILS (1 ILS = 0.327 USD). 1 EUR = 3.43 ILS (1 ILS = 0.291 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tel Aviv-Yafo Budapest 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tel Aviv-Yafo
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

Tel Aviv-Yafo vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tel Aviv-Yafo is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,441 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 267% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,727 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Tel Aviv-Yafo at $3,627. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tel Aviv-Yafo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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