Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Tripoli: $1,084 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Tripoli
Learn more

Tripoli Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Tripoli

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,084

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,084 per month in Tripoli vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Tripoli $1,084
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,637 per month in Tripoli vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Tripoli $1,637
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,190 per month in Tripoli vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Tripoli $2,190
Budapest $3,429

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 LBP 460.2K

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-63.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 LBP 4.5M

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-17.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 LBP 811.2K

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-11.09%

Cappuccino

$3.93 LBP 351.3K

$3.26 Ft 1,055

20.55%

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

$1.53 LBP 137.2K

$2.14 Ft 690

-28.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 LBP 76.4K

$1.78 Ft 577

-52.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

$3.71 Ft 1,198

31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 LBP 434.2K

$3.77 Ft 1,217

28.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 LBP 117.6K

$1.15 Ft 371

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 LBP 69.8K

$1.79 Ft 578

-56.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 LBP 131.3K

$2.49 Ft 804

-40.96%

Eggs

$1.17 LBP 104.3K

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 LBP 989.1K

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-0.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 LBP 579.7K

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-2.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 LBP 966.9K

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-26.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 LBP 280.1K

$1.83 Ft 591

71.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 LBP 148.8K

$2.05 Ft 661

-19.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 LBP 151.5K

$2.37 Ft 765

-28.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 LBP 42.9K

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-87.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 LBP 51.4K

$0.99 Ft 320

-42.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 LBP 141.5K

$1.00 Ft 322

58.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 LBP 76.0K

$1.58 Ft 511

-46.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LBP 39.3K

$0.67 Ft 216

-34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 LBP 276.1K

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-61.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 LBP 972.3K

$6.22 Ft 2,009

74.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 LBP 115.3K

$1.27 Ft 411

1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 LBP 228.4K

$2.03 Ft 654

25.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 LBP 443.8K

$3.31 Ft 1,070

49.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 LBP 88.2K

$1.37 Ft 442

-27.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.63 LBP 1.8M

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 LBP 93.8K

$1.82 Ft 589

-42.31%

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

$53.7K LBP 4.8B

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

80.32%

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

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-2.98%

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

$237 LBP 21.2M

$171 Ft 55.3K

38.22%

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

$14.34 LBP 1.3M

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-39.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.12 LBP 2.0M

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-5.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.40 LBP 3.6M

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-40.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 LBP 889.3K

$9.30 Ft 3,004

6.88%

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

$676 LBP 60.5M

$533 Ft 172.3K

26.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,398 LBP 304.2M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-79.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 LBP 5.9M

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-33.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.95 LBP 4.4M

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

12.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 LBP 12.4M

$110 Ft 35.7K

25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 LBP 10.7M

$119 Ft 38.4K

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 LBP 36.3M

$830 Ft 268.3K

-51.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 LBP 18.2M

$622 Ft 200.9K

-67.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 LBP 64.9M

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-54.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 LBP 31.0M

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-70.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,154 LBP 103.3M

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-80.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$852 LBP 76.2M

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-78.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 LBP 40.3M

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-72.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

70.54%

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

Last update for Tripoli: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tripoli

$273 25.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 20.2% $55

Groceries & Markets

Tripoli

$211 19.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 22.2% $47

Accommodation & Living

Tripoli

$203 18.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 207% $419

Clothing & Footwear

Tripoli

$168 15.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Tripoli

$159 14.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 40.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Tripoli

$60 5.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 42.9% $26

Getting Around

Tripoli

$9.9 * 0.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 348% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $406 in Tripoli 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 266% 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 $50.0 in Tripoli versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $258 – making Tripoli the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Tripoli

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

01:22 1:22 AM

1 h behind Tripoli

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

999,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇧 Lebanese Pound (ل.ل)

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to LBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tripoli Budapest 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Tripoli
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

Tripoli 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 $1,626 per month in Tripoli 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 Tripoli, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Tripoli and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tripoli, where all-in costs run around $1,084, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Tripoli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tripoli – 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 Tripoli. 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.