Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,251 in Wollongong, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,251

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,251 per month in Wollongong vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Wollongong $2,251
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,295 per month in Wollongong vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Wollongong $3,295
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,339 per month in Wollongong vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Wollongong $4,339
Budapest $3,429

Wollongong costs about 39% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wollongong and Budapest sit above the global median – Wollongong by 67%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 A$24.06

$13.94 Ft 4,503

19.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

37.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 A$14.78

$10.19 Ft 3,291

0.79%

Cappuccino

$3.49 A$5.03

$3.26 Ft 1,055

7.06%

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

$3.16 A$4.54

$2.14 Ft 690

47.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.12

$1.78 Ft 577

21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 A$10.20

$3.71 Ft 1,198

91.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.97

$3.77 Ft 1,217

83.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.72

$1.15 Ft 371

3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 A$4.20

$1.79 Ft 578

63.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.04

$2.49 Ft 804

-15.26%

Eggs

$3.93 A$5.65

$3.90 Ft 1,261

0.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.96

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-6.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 A$13.62

$6.62 Ft 2,139

43.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$22.27

$14.69 Ft 4,745

5.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.17

$1.83 Ft 591

58.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.65

$2.05 Ft 661

23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$2.37 Ft 765

39.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 A$6.51

$3.90 Ft 1,260

16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$0.99 Ft 320

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.71

$1.00 Ft 322

158.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.68

$1.58 Ft 511

62.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.91

$0.67 Ft 216

98.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.92 A$64.6

$7.96 Ft 2,572

464.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$20.00

$6.22 Ft 2,009

123.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 A$6.31

$1.27 Ft 411

244.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.72

$2.03 Ft 654

130.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 A$2.84

$1.52 Ft 490

29.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.31 Ft 1,070

24.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.37 Ft 442

13.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.79 A$61.6

$19.83 Ft 6,406

115.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.90

$1.82 Ft 589

-27.47%

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

$26.6K A$38.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-10.88%

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

$24.8K A$35.6K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-26.73%

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

$185 A$267

$171 Ft 55.3K

8.35%

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

$27.08 A$38.97

$23.51 Ft 7,596

15.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 A$73.5

$23.29 Ft 7,526

119.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.8 A$118

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

21.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.07 A$20.24

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-25.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 A$18.73

$9.30 Ft 3,004

40.00%

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

$2,148 A$3,091

$533 Ft 172.3K

302.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$29.5K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

22.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$98.1

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-31.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 A$79.2

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

26.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$152

$110 Ft 35.7K

-4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$155

$119 Ft 38.4K

-9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 A$1,793

$830 Ft 268.3K

50.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 A$1,552

$622 Ft 200.9K

73.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 A$2,802

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

22.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 A$2,398

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

42.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 A$6,386

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-23.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,676 A$5,290

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-5.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,130 A$7,382

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

210.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

6.45

-18.91%

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

Last update for Wollongong: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wollongong

$1.1K 47.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 42.3% $457

Groceries & Markets

Wollongong

$353 15.7%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 27% $95

Eating Out

Wollongong

$277 12.3%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 19.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wollongong

$264 11.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 17.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Wollongong

$151 6.7%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 10.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Wollongong

$108 4.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 20.1% $22

Getting Around

Wollongong

$20 * 0.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 124% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,246 in Wollongong 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 211% higher in Wollongong, 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 $84.0 in Wollongong versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

18:54 6:54 PM

9 h behind Wollongong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

280,153

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 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 AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Wollongong Budapest 15,800 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Wollongong
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

Wollongong vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wollongong is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,377 per month in Wollongong 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Wollongong 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 37% more in Wollongong, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Wollongong at $2,251. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wollongong 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, Wollongong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.