Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zalaegerszeg and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalaegerszeg: $1,078 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Zalaegerszeg
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Zalaegerszeg Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Zalaegerszeg

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,078

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,078 per month in Zalaegerszeg vs $1,638 in Budapest, rent included.

Zalaegerszeg $1,078
Budapest $1,638

A couple spends around $1,621 per month in Zalaegerszeg vs $2,553 in Budapest, rent included.

Zalaegerszeg $1,621
Budapest $2,553

A family of three spends $2,164 per month in Zalaegerszeg vs $3,467 in Budapest, rent included.

Zalaegerszeg $2,164
Budapest $3,467

Zalaegerszeg is about 34% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Zalaegerszeg sits 21% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 Ft 4,474

$13.81 Ft 4,552

-1.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 Ft 20.3K

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

0.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 Ft 3,040

$10.16 Ft 3,349

-9.25%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Ft 930

$3.22 Ft 1,062

-12.42%

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

$2.00 Ft 658

$2.06 Ft 680

-2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 420

$1.83 Ft 605

-30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 Ft 667

$3.60 Ft 1,188

-43.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 Ft 681

$3.66 Ft 1,208

-43.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Ft 390

$1.19 Ft 392

-0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 Ft 461

$1.87 Ft 617

-25.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 Ft 775

$2.37 Ft 780

-0.84%

Eggs

$3.43 Ft 1,132

$3.96 Ft 1,305

-13.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 Ft 3,602

$11.16 Ft 3,680

-2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 Ft 1,909

$6.76 Ft 2,228

-14.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.49 Ft 4,117

$14.35 Ft 4,731

-12.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 Ft 612

$1.81 Ft 596

2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 Ft 691

$2.11 Ft 695

-0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 Ft 649

$2.33 Ft 770

-15.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 Ft 1,279

$3.80 Ft 1,254

2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 Ft 343

$0.99 Ft 327

5.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 337

$0.98 Ft 324

4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 Ft 442

$1.55 Ft 512

-13.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 Ft 192

$0.70 Ft 230

-17.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 Ft 2,677

$7.79 Ft 2,569

4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 Ft 2,031

$6.05 Ft 1,995

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 Ft 354

$1.28 Ft 421

-16.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 Ft 691

$2.04 Ft 672

2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 Ft 366

$1.55 Ft 511

-28.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 Ft 5,939

$27.28 Ft 8,995

-33.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 Ft 1,075

$3.30 Ft 1,087

-1.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 Ft 394

$1.31 Ft 433

-9.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.17 Ft 6,651

$20.26 Ft 6,679

-0.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 611

$1.82 Ft 600

1.65%

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

$28.4K Ft 9.4M

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

-1.16%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.2M

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

2.32%

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

$146 Ft 48.2K

$172 Ft 56.8K

-15.16%

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

$23.29 Ft 7,678

$23.95 Ft 7,897

-2.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 Ft 7,580

$23.31 Ft 7,685

-1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.71 Ft 13.1K

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

-42.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.90 Ft 12.2K

$18.91 Ft 6,235

95.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 Ft 2,512

$10.18 Ft 3,356

-25.15%

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

$211 Ft 69.6K

$600 Ft 197.9K

-64.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K Ft 5.4M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-3.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.58 Ft 10.1K

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

-69.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.07 Ft 7,935

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

-44.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.8 Ft 16.7K

$113 Ft 37.2K

-55.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 Ft 18.1K

$117 Ft 38.6K

-53.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 Ft 111.9K

$836 Ft 275.6K

-59.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 Ft 96.6K

$640 Ft 210.9K

-54.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 Ft 148.3K

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

-71.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 Ft 101.3K

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

-74.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,857 Ft 612.1K

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

-66.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,510 Ft 497.7K

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

-60.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$771 Ft 254.2K

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

-53.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zalaegerszeg

$293 27.2%

Budapest

$640 39.1% 118% $347

Groceries & Markets

Zalaegerszeg

$237 22%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 9.2% $22

Eating Out

Zalaegerszeg

$197 18.3%

Budapest

$221 13.5% 11.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zalaegerszeg

$192 17.8%

Budapest

$219 13.4% 14.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Zalaegerszeg

$72 6.7%

Budapest

$168 10.2% 132% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Zalaegerszeg

$55 5.1%

Budapest

$89 5.4% 61.9% $34

Getting Around

Zalaegerszeg

$32 2.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 36.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $339 in Zalaegerszeg versus $836 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 in Budapest are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Zalaegerszeg versus $61 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Zalaegerszeg vs $258 in Budapest – so Zalaegerszeg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Zalaegerszeg

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

Same time as Zalaegerszeg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,152

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Zalaegerszeg vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,617 per month in Zalaegerszeg and $2,457 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zalaegerszeg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Zalaegerszeg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,078 in Zalaegerszeg and $1,638 in Budapest. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Zalaegerszeg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Zalaegerszeg. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.