Cost of Living in Hungary - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Hungary
Address: HU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends around $1,124 per month with rent on average across Hungary.

A couple spends around $1,706 per month with rent on average across Hungary.

A family of three spends around $2,288 per month with rent on average across Hungary.

Across 44 cities in Hungary, monthly living costs range from $879 to $1,439 – a $560 difference that makes location a key factor.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.45 Ft 3,518

$7.16 Ft 2,201

$14.97 Ft 4,600

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 Ft 16.0K

$34.64 Ft 10.6K

$86.6 Ft 26.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 Ft 2,586

$7.02 Ft 2,157

$9.82 Ft 3,017

Cappuccino

$2.32 Ft 712

$1.14 Ft 350

$3.67 Ft 1,128

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

$1.60 Ft 490

$1.03 Ft 318

$2.36 Ft 726

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 Ft 352

$0.71 Ft 218

$2.13 Ft 655

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Ft 686

$1.12 Ft 343

$3.63 Ft 1,116

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 Ft 907

$1.77 Ft 545

$4.13 Ft 1,269

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Ft 343

$0.85 Ft 261

$1.48 Ft 456

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 Ft 468

$1.02 Ft 313

$2.61 Ft 803

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 Ft 589

$1.13 Ft 346

$2.82 Ft 866

Eggs

$2.84 Ft 872

$1.69 Ft 521

$3.74 Ft 1,150

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 Ft 2,904

$5.69 Ft 1,748

$17.05 Ft 5,240

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 Ft 1,849

$4.06 Ft 1,246

$8.68 Ft 2,669

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.56 Ft 3,861

$7.28 Ft 2,238

$19.26 Ft 5,918

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 Ft 537

$1.02 Ft 312

$2.33 Ft 718

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 576

$1.25 Ft 385

$2.65 Ft 813

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 616

$1.14 Ft 349

$3.41 Ft 1,047

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 Ft 1,001

$1.32 Ft 407

$5.89 Ft 1,811

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 Ft 358

$0.74 Ft 228

$1.77 Ft 544

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 Ft 377

$0.85 Ft 261

$1.71 Ft 526

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 Ft 426

$0.84 Ft 258

$2.25 Ft 691

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Ft 172

$0.35 Ft 108

$0.89 Ft 274

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.67 Ft 2,050

$6.09 Ft 1,870

$8.12 Ft 2,496

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 Ft 1,506

$2.54 Ft 781

$8.17 Ft 2,510

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 Ft 340

$0.79 Ft 243

$1.42 Ft 437

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 Ft 468

$1.02 Ft 313

$2.32 Ft 713

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 Ft 406

$1.08 Ft 331

$1.76 Ft 541

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 Ft 7,971

$24.21 Ft 7,442

$28.82 Ft 8,857

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 Ft 948

$2.52 Ft 775

$4.21 Ft 1,292

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 Ft 344

$1.02 Ft 314

$1.28 Ft 393

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.19 Ft 5,899

$15.99 Ft 4,915

$19.19 Ft 5,899

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 Ft 550

$1.64 Ft 506

$1.91 Ft 587

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

$28.8K Ft 8.8M

$26.0K Ft 8.0M

$32.1K Ft 9.9M

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

$30.0K Ft 9.2M

$25.6K Ft 7.9M

$34.1K Ft 10.5M

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

$145 Ft 44.6K

$102 Ft 31.3K

$222 Ft 68.2K

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

$26.80 Ft 8,237

$14.54 Ft 4,468

$34.90 Ft 10.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 Ft 6,333

$14.49 Ft 4,452

$28.97 Ft 8,904

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 Ft 16.3K

$34.75 Ft 10.7K

$72.4 Ft 22.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 Ft 5,645

$11.14 Ft 3,423

$27.84 Ft 8,555

Cinema Ticket

$8.54 Ft 2,624

$6.55 Ft 2,013

$9.96 Ft 3,061

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

$395 Ft 121.4K

$205 Ft 62.9K

$731 Ft 224.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K Ft 3.2M

$4,646 Ft 1.4M

$21.0K Ft 6.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 Ft 24.2K

$28.27 Ft 8,689

$125 Ft 38.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 Ft 11.5K

$17.46 Ft 5,366

$70.2 Ft 21.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 Ft 27.5K

$57.9 Ft 17.8K

$116 Ft 35.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 Ft 29.1K

$57.4 Ft 17.6K

$143 Ft 44.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 Ft 175.3K

$400 Ft 122.9K

$857 Ft 263.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 Ft 136.4K

$313 Ft 96.2K

$597 Ft 183.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 Ft 298.7K

$575 Ft 176.7K

$1,725 Ft 530.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 Ft 232.8K

$513 Ft 157.6K

$1,140 Ft 350.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,917 Ft 1.2M

$2,383 Ft 732.5K

$6,398 Ft 2.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,981 Ft 916.2K

$1,796 Ft 552.1K

$4,899 Ft 1.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,331 Ft 409.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.35

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

Last update: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom averages $449 nationally. In Budapest, expect around $738, while Nyiregyhaza – the country's most affordable city overall – comes in at $518.

The average net salary across Hungary is $1,228 – enough to cover average monthly costs of $1,124, but with limited room for savings. Margins vary widely by city.

Groceries average around $216 per month nationally. A mid-range dinner for two costs about $45.

Most affordable: Nyiregyhaza at $879 per month. The capital, Budapest, sits at $1,439. Across the country, monthly costs span roughly $560 between the cheapest and priciest cities.

Cost Highlights

Overall living costs ($1,124) is 16% below the global median of $1,340.

Average rent ($449) is 28% below the global median of $621.

Public transport ($25) is 24% below the global median of $33.

By City in Hungary

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	Ajka	26408	55	$724	$1,097	$1,584	$2,161	88.62	186.26
2	Budaors	29398	69	$766	$1,377	$1,699	$2,703	21.47	264.69
3	Budapest	1686222	72	$735	$1,439	$1,864	$2,977	256.4	306.61
4	Békéscsaba	54460	54	$492	$1,071	$1,580	$2,083	89.81	242.67
5	Csongrad	15409	59	$690	$1,200	$1,698	$2,403	25.03	165.76
6	Dabas	17542	59	$729	$1,163	$1,768	$2,347	57.56	333.86
7	Debrecen	201704	61	$624	$1,220	$1,533	$2,489	211.94	266.32
8	Dunaföldvár	8800	60	$708	$1,189	$1,619	$2,433	6.41	178.82
9	Dunakeszi	42747	58	$624	$1,161	$1,601	$2,409	64.47	301.67
10	Dunaujvaros	41394	56	$694	$1,134	$1,605	$2,254	90.45	316.33
11	Eger	49499	53	$546	$1,079	$1,501	$2,197	46.88	255.08
12	Esztergom	28642	58	$658	$1,163	$1,343	$2,237	319.42	194.93
13	Godollo	32524	61	$549	$1,203	$1,387	$2,307	283.35	237.55
14	Gyongyos	27645	50	$634	$993	$1,579	$2,195	98.22	277.56
15	Gyor	130191	60	$698	$1,208	$1,763	$2,626	124.55	210.22
16	Heviz	4500	61	$636	$1,228	$1,855	$2,501	42.26	218.61
17	Hodmezovasarhely	41781	57	$645	$1,125	$1,708	$2,252	130.63	230.21
18	Kalocsa	14433	60	$696	$1,173	$1,627	$2,474	26.94	239.49
19	Kaposvár	58830	55	$670	$1,100	$1,313	$2,189	97.67	180.95
20	Kecskemet	109450	52	$561	$1,026	$1,301	$1,993	104.67	163.33
21	Kiskunfelegyhaza	28562	59	$598	$1,176	$1,506	$2,338	219.92	137.35
22	Kisvarda	14888	57	$550	$1,155	$1,541	$2,299	104.23	186.36
23	Lake Balaton	275000	55	$630	$1,098	$1,582	$2,236	139.01	115.86
24	Miskolc	143502	55	$603	$1,109	$1,557	$2,234	45.06	272.38
25	Mohacs	17200	56	$678	$1,094	$1,527	$2,267	138.09	256.14
26	Nagykanizsa	42502	50	$672	$1,008	$1,717	$2,124	119.93	220.93
27	Nyiregyhaza	115359	45	$478	$879	$1,498	$2,046	103.21	246.84
28	Paks	17917	57	$674	$1,148	$1,537	$2,172	205.58	251.06
29	Paszto	9500	59	$705	$1,186	$1,552	$2,421	210.35	176.12
30	Pecs	140330	60	$680	$1,217	$1,705	$2,434	36.08	267.37
31	Siofok	24021	54	$575	$1,068	$1,403	$2,232	51.33	240.86
32	Sopron	61589	62	$676	$1,231	$1,365	$2,353	80.64	247.27
33	Szeged	157930	53	$612	$1,055	$1,549	$2,258	44.79	228.16
34	Szekesfehervar	96024	51	$616	$1,033	$1,445	$2,248	87.08	302.15
35	Szekszard	29707	53	$613	$1,076	$1,673	$2,161	88.51	245.29
36	Szentendre	28444	57	$631	$1,128	$1,669	$2,328	96.98	255.22
37	Szolnok	66426	46	$547	$913	$1,365	$1,836	34.31	302.32
38	Szombathely	77757	57	$651	$1,120	$1,407	$2,133	22.07	227.02
39	Tamási	8000	51	$506	$1,005	$1,563	$2,110	38.7	217.97
40	Tatabanya	65861	56	$625	$1,126	$1,456	$2,204	26.59	299.51
41	Vac	34001	56	$697	$1,131	$1,760	$2,492	166.29	233.74
42	Veszprem	56029	57	$682	$1,139	$1,374	$2,138	123.38	210.32
43	Zalaegerszeg	55152	49	$634	$967	$1,681	$1,974	159.3	230.5
44	Érd	71338	53	$653	$1,046	$1,674	$2,421	161.83	296.04

Hungary Median Internet Speeds (Updated April 2026)

Mobile

Mbps

Fixed Broadband

Mbps

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in Hungary - Frequently Asked Questions

Compared with many Western European hubs, Hungary offers a compelling mix of culture, safety, and value for travelers, expats, and digital nomads. In cities like Budapest and beyond, amenities come at a gentler price point, while infrastructure – public transit, healthcare access, and coworking scenes – supports longer stays. The Cost of Living in Hungary tends to be friendlier for those balancing rent, food, and experiences, with seasonal peaks that invite smart planning. Culture, cafes, and outdoor life blend to create a rich daily rhythm without breaking the budget. Tip: Start with a short-term stay in a diverse district to test daily life before committing long-term.

From the housing hunt to groceries and transit, daily life varies by city and neighborhood in Hungary. In Budapest, you may find a wide range of rental options, easy access to supermarkets, and plentiful coworking spaces; in smaller towns, costs and pace drop but amenities may be fewer. The Hungary living cost tends to reflect location, with transit passes and utility bills that are manageable relative to income in many cases. Practical tips: search with lease flexibility, check proximity to metro lines, and sample local markets for meals. Tip: Start with short-term stays near public transport to gauge routines before committing long-term.

To balance life and costs, use a practical budgeting framework like a simple monthly plan: essentials, flexible spending, and savings. In Hungary, neighborhoods near transit hubs, universities, or business districts offer shorter commutes and easier access to services, while outer areas may offer roomier housing at lower rents. Embrace seasonal patterns: outdoor markets and summer events can be cheaper and livelier, while winter costs shift toward heating and indoor activities. Tip: compare neighborhoods by a trial residency, track monthly costs for a couple of weeks, and prioritize amenities you actually use.

Hungary falls in the middle globally – not a bargain destination, not an expensive one. Costs vary a lot by region, which means it works for a wide range of incomes and lifestyles depending on where you settle.

In 2026, monthly costs in Hungary range from $879 in smaller cities to $1,439 in major hubs. Where you choose to live makes a dramatic difference – the gap between cheapest and most expensive cities is huge.

Rent in Hungary varies a lot – Budapest has the highest prices, and the gap between capital and provincial rents can be 50% or more. Choosing which city to live in is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make.

In regional cities, $700 is plenty. In Budapest? You'll need to plan carefully, especially around housing. Shared apartments or outer neighborhoods are the usual workarounds.

Hungary is mid-range globally, with more affordable cities starting around $879 per month. Not the cheapest option out there, but far from the most expensive – a reasonable balance of cost and quality of life.