Cost of Living Comparison Between Vic and Budapest Cost of Living Comparison Between Vic and Budapest

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,583 per month in Vic vs $1,450 in Budapest, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,239 per month in Vic vs $2,221 in Budapest, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,894 per month in Vic vs $2,991 in Budapest, rent included.

Vic costs about 9% more than Budapest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Vic and Budapest sit above the global median – Vic by 18%, Budapest by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.61

$11.49 Ft 3,504

37.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.91 €27.45

$56.8 Ft 17.3K

-43.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.92

$8.66 Ft 2,641

19.75%

Cappuccino

$1.87 €1.61

$2.77 Ft 844

-32.49%

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

$2.93 €2.52

$1.80 Ft 548

62.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.33 Ft 407

18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.81 Ft 858

-17.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.79 Ft 852

25.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.21 Ft 368

13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.74 Ft 529

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.08 Ft 636

-38.94%

Eggs

$2.50 €2.15

$3.10 Ft 947

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 €8.89

$9.95 Ft 3,034

3.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 €5.61

$6.33 Ft 1,930

3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 €13.70

$13.33 Ft 4,066

19.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.85 Ft 565

1.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.91 Ft 582

-13.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$2.17 Ft 662

-41.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.67 Ft 1,119

-44.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 €0.62

$1.13 Ft 344

-36.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.22 Ft 371

84.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.55 Ft 472

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.36

$0.53 Ft 163

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.79 Ft 2,072

-2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.56 €3.92

$5.87 Ft 1,790

-22.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.22 Ft 371

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.09

$1.73 Ft 527

40.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.28 Ft 391

28.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.70 €28.99

$26.14 Ft 7,972

28.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 €2.10

$3.26 Ft 994

-24.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.13 Ft 344

-10.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.15 €25.94

$19.23 Ft 5,865

56.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.75 Ft 533

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

$38.8K €33.4K

$25.9K Ft 7.9M

49.89%

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

$29.7K €25.6K

$30.8K Ft 9.4M

-3.33%

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

$116 €100

$145 Ft 44.3K

-19.84%

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

$20.75 €17.85

$26.21 Ft 7,995

-20.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.00 €30.96

$20.23 Ft 6,170

77.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 €40.25

$62.1 Ft 18.9K

-24.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.94 €12.85

$22.11 Ft 6,744

-32.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 €7.61

$9.15 Ft 2,791

-3.39%

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

$522 €449

$454 Ft 138.4K

15.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,216 €7,067

$12.1K Ft 3.7M

-32.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.06 €30.16

$84.6 Ft 25.8K

-58.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.76 €35.93

$41.84 Ft 12.8K

-0.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 €77.8

$95.9 Ft 29.2K

-5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €97.3

$107 Ft 32.5K

5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 €744

$719 Ft 219.2K

20.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 €608

$553 Ft 168.6K

27.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 €1,149

$1,356 Ft 413.4K

-1.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$984 €847

$984 Ft 300.0K

0.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,452 €2,109

$6,041 Ft 1.8M

-59.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,333 €2,007

$4,470 Ft 1.4M

-47.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,367 €2,036

$1,834 Ft 559.4K

29.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

7.03

-46.66%

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

Last update for Vic: May 30, 2026

Last update for Budapest: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $865 in Vic versus $719 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 29% higher in Vic, 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 $32.00 in Vic versus $57.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $239 – making Vic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Vic vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vic is pricier by about 9%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,374 per month in Vic and $2,175 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 29% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $522 per month in Vic and $454 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 Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,450, than in Vic at $1,583. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vic 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, Vic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.