Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $1,808 in Thompson, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Thompson despite lower rent and utilities.

86

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
Learn more

Thompson Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,808

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,808 per month in Thompson vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Thompson $1,808
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,730 per month in Thompson vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Thompson $2,730
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,652 per month in Thompson vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Thompson $3,652
Budapest $3,489

Thompson costs about 12% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Thompson and Budapest sit above the global median – Thompson by 35%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 CA$24.76

$13.99 Ft 4,551

24.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 CA$90.2

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

4.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$9.96 Ft 3,241

6.73%

Cappuccino

$3.62 CA$5.16

$3.38 Ft 1,100

7.10%

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

$1.96 CA$2.79

$2.13 Ft 692

-7.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.30

$1.87 Ft 608

-13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 CA$7.59

$3.75 Ft 1,221

42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 CA$7.99

$3.57 Ft 1,162

56.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CA$3.03

$1.13 Ft 368

88.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 CA$3.56

$1.84 Ft 599

35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.57

$2.39 Ft 777

33.89%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.75

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-13.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 CA$14.38

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-10.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.33

$6.74 Ft 2,192

70.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 CA$20.96

$14.69 Ft 4,780

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.20

$1.84 Ft 597

98.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$2.01 Ft 653

-41.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.38

$2.36 Ft 767

59.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.93

$3.77 Ft 1,226

10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CA$3.43

$0.96 Ft 313

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.14

$1.03 Ft 334

113.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$1.56 Ft 509

55.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.27

$0.66 Ft 216

142.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 CA$19.57

$7.96 Ft 2,591

72.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 CA$18.06

$6.01 Ft 1,954

110.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$1.30 Ft 421

106.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CA$4.33

$2.08 Ft 676

46.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 CA$3.14

$1.50 Ft 489

46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 CA$95.7

$27.61 Ft 8,982

143.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$4.08

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.30 Ft 424

6.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.69 CA$32.34

$19.78 Ft 6,436

14.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.60

$1.81 Ft 591

-38.12%

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

$27.8K CA$39.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-5.10%

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

$20.4K CA$29.1K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-40.09%

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

$137 CA$195

$170 Ft 55.3K

-19.35%

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

$37.96 CA$54.1

$23.98 Ft 7,802

58.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$75.5

$23.42 Ft 7,621

126.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.03 CA$58.5

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-38.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 CA$22.33

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-18.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 CA$15.62

$9.52 Ft 3,098

15.13%

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

$641 CA$913

$537 Ft 174.6K

19.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K CA$19.6K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-17.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$76.2

$101 Ft 33.0K

-47.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.21 CA$54.5

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 CA$120

$113 Ft 36.7K

-25.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$146

$119 Ft 38.6K

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 CA$958

$805 Ft 262.0K

-16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 CA$960

$629 Ft 204.7K

7.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 CA$1,554

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 CA$1,590

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-4.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,094 CA$5,835

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-27.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,002 CA$5,705

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

0.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,531 CA$2,183

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-5.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.64

6.43

-27.84%

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

Last update for Thompson: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thompson

$674 37.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 6.6% $44

Groceries & Markets

Thompson

$350 19.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 26.5% $93

Eating Out

Thompson

$266 14.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 15.8% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thompson

$228 12.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 4.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Thompson

$125 7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 35.2% $44

Getting Around

Thompson

$86 4.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 49.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Thompson

$63 3.5%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 35.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $672 in Thompson 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 6% higher in Budapest, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Thompson versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Thompson

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

05:41 5:41 AM

7 h ahead of Thompson

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,829

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thompson Budapest 7,120 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Thompson
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

Thompson vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thompson is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,712 per month in Thompson 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 143% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $641 per month in Thompson 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 Thompson at $1,808. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thompson 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, Thompson makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.