Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaragoza and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
Learn more

Zaragoza Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $635 per month in Zaragoza vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Zaragoza $635
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,039 per month in Zaragoza vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Zaragoza $1,039
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,443 per month in Zaragoza vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Zaragoza $1,443
Budapest $3,429

Zaragoza is about 61% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zaragoza sits 53% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.73 $6.73

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-51.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.58 $30.58

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-50.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 $7.19

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-29.44%

Cappuccino

$1.46 $1.46

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-55.21%

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

$1.13 $1.13

$2.14 Ft 690

-47.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.78 Ft 577

-52.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 $1.21

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-67.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-43.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.15 Ft 371

53.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.79 Ft 578

28.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.49 Ft 804

-61.85%

Eggs

$2.49 $2.49

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-36.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 $7.64

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-40.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-62.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.83 Ft 591

120.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.05 Ft 661

-29.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.37 Ft 765

12.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-44.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$0.99 Ft 320

202.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.00 Ft 322

86.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.58 Ft 511

-39.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.67 Ft 216

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 $3.80

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-52.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$6.22 Ft 2,009

29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.27 Ft 411

22.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.03 Ft 654

13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.52 Ft 490

0.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.31 Ft 1,070

49.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.37 Ft 442

121.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.38 $20.38

$19.83 Ft 6,406

2.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.82 Ft 589

-38.46%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-16.02%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-26.61%

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

$44.91 $44.91

$171 Ft 55.3K

-73.76%

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

$21.66 $21.66

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-7.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.58 $35.58

$23.29 Ft 7,526

52.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.04 $35.04

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-48.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 $5.05

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-45.70%

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

$153 $153

$533 Ft 172.3K

-71.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,701 $4,701

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-71.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 $68.1

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-31.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.09 $46.09

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$110 Ft 35.7K

0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.1 $69.1

$119 Ft 38.4K

-41.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

6.45

31.78%

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

Last update for Zaragoza: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zaragoza

$217 34.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 18.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Zaragoza

$133 20.9%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 26.3% $35

Eating Out

Zaragoza

$111 17.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 101% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zaragoza

$102 16.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 113% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Zaragoza

$45 7.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 90.8% $41

Getting Around

Zaragoza

$26 * 4.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 68.5% $18

Accommodation & Living

Zaragoza

- * 0%

Budapest

$622 38.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Zaragoza versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $258 – making Zaragoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

16:47 4:47 PM

8 h ahead of Zaragoza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,749

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 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).

HUF to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zaragoza Budapest 10,220 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Zaragoza
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

Zaragoza vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 155%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $952 per month in Zaragoza and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Zaragoza 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 19% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zaragoza, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Zaragoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaragoza – 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 Zaragoza. 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.