Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warsaw and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,032 in Warsaw, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Warsaw outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Warsaw
Learn more

Warsaw Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Warsaw

🇵🇱 Poland

$2,032

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,032 per month in Warsaw vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Warsaw $2,032
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,918 per month in Warsaw vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Warsaw $2,918
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,804 per month in Warsaw vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Warsaw $3,804
Budapest $3,429

Warsaw costs about 26% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Warsaw and Budapest sit above the global median – Warsaw by 50%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.51 zł 44.72

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-17.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 zł 236

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-0.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 zł 38.87

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-1.86%

Cappuccino

$4.17 zł 16.22

$3.26 Ft 1,055

27.91%

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

$2.27 zł 8.81

$2.14 Ft 690

6.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 zł 8.61

$1.78 Ft 577

24.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 zł 17.87

$3.71 Ft 1,198

23.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 zł 19.47

$3.77 Ft 1,217

32.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 4.07

$1.15 Ft 371

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$1.79 Ft 578

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 zł 6.00

$2.49 Ft 804

-38.15%

Eggs

$3.76 zł 14.60

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 zł 33.22

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 zł 24.43

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-4.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 zł 56.5

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-1.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.55

$1.83 Ft 591

-36.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.73

$2.05 Ft 661

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 zł 6.66

$2.37 Ft 765

-27.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 zł 15.71

$3.90 Ft 1,260

3.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.53

$0.99 Ft 320

-8.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.34

$1.00 Ft 322

-14.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 zł 5.39

$1.58 Ft 511

-12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.67

$0.67 Ft 216

2.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 zł 24.04

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-22.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.46 zł 25.10

$6.22 Ft 2,009

3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.28

$1.27 Ft 411

-13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 zł 6.35

$2.03 Ft 654

-19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 zł 4.31

$1.52 Ft 490

-26.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.52 zł 111

$28.02 Ft 9,053

1.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 zł 9.58

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-25.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 zł 5.08

$1.37 Ft 442

-4.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.87 zł 50.0

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-35.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 zł 6.80

$1.82 Ft 589

-3.85%

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

$30.7K zł 119.4K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

3.12%

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

$30.8K zł 119.5K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-9.04%

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

$341 zł 1,324

$171 Ft 55.3K

99.22%

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

$9.00 zł 34.95

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-61.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.19 zł 62.9

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-30.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.81 zł 178

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-32.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 zł 108

$18.89 Ft 6,104

47.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 zł 35.12

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-2.80%

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

$594 zł 2,306

$533 Ft 172.3K

11.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K zł 55.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-14.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 zł 424

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

9.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 zł 156

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-7.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 zł 405

$110 Ft 35.7K

-5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 431

$119 Ft 38.4K

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 zł 4,587

$830 Ft 268.3K

42.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 zł 3,659

$622 Ft 200.9K

51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 zł 8,056

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 zł 5,958

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

31.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,932 zł 23.0K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

1.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 zł 14.9K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-1.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 zł 7,959

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

24.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.45

3.57%

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

Last update for Warsaw: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warsaw

$942 46.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 34% $320

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warsaw

$366 18%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 40.5% $148

Groceries & Markets

Warsaw

$231 11.4%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 11.7% $27

Eating Out

Warsaw

$223 11%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Warsaw

$164 8.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 2.2% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Warsaw

$64 3.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 34.8% $22

Getting Around

Warsaw

$42 2.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 5.4% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,181 in Warsaw 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 24% higher in Warsaw, 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 $61.0 in Warsaw versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $258 – making Warsaw the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Warsaw

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

Same time as Warsaw

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,861,599 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Warsaw Budapest 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Warsaw
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

Warsaw vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Warsaw is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,048 per month in Warsaw 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 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 2% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $594 per month in Warsaw and $533 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 $1,619, than in Warsaw at $2,032. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Warsaw 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, Warsaw makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.