Cost of Living in Hungary - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Hungary
Address: HU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends around $1,288 per month with rent on average in Hungary.

A couple spends around $1,982 per month with rent on average in Hungary.

A family of three spends around $2,675 per month with rent on average in Hungary.

Across 44 cities in Hungary, monthly living costs range from $1,056 to $1,666 – a $610 difference that makes location a key factor.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 Ft 3,976

$7.86 Ft 2,485

$18.87 Ft 5,965

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 Ft 18.1K

$38.24 Ft 12.1K

$95.6 Ft 30.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 Ft 3,061

$8.07 Ft 2,551

$11.61 Ft 3,671

Cappuccino

$2.65 Ft 838

$1.23 Ft 388

$4.31 Ft 1,362

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

$1.77 Ft 561

$1.09 Ft 346

$2.80 Ft 885

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 Ft 430

$0.92 Ft 292

$2.30 Ft 728

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 Ft 893

$1.25 Ft 396

$4.71 Ft 1,490

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Ft 882

$1.87 Ft 590

$4.66 Ft 1,473

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Ft 396

$0.97 Ft 306

$1.58 Ft 499

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 Ft 490

$1.23 Ft 388

$2.48 Ft 784

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 Ft 754

$1.46 Ft 461

$3.11 Ft 984

Eggs

$3.55 Ft 1,122

$2.24 Ft 708

$4.49 Ft 1,418

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 Ft 3,391

$7.50 Ft 2,370

$18.83 Ft 5,953

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 Ft 2,140

$4.36 Ft 1,379

$9.04 Ft 2,857

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 Ft 4,776

$9.43 Ft 2,981

$18.88 Ft 5,969

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 649

$1.16 Ft 367

$2.51 Ft 793

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 677

$1.56 Ft 493

$2.80 Ft 886

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 726

$1.27 Ft 403

$3.52 Ft 1,113

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 Ft 1,126

$1.53 Ft 485

$4.81 Ft 1,521

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 Ft 348

$0.61 Ft 191

$1.59 Ft 504

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 Ft 409

$0.64 Ft 201

$1.92 Ft 608

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 Ft 507

$0.98 Ft 309

$2.37 Ft 750

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 171

$0.36 Ft 114

$0.88 Ft 277

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 Ft 2,438

$6.78 Ft 2,145

$9.25 Ft 2,926

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 Ft 1,714

$2.48 Ft 785

$9.57 Ft 3,025

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 Ft 396

$0.93 Ft 294

$1.49 Ft 471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 Ft 639

$1.25 Ft 395

$3.94 Ft 1,245

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 Ft 446

$1.10 Ft 348

$1.89 Ft 596

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.10 Ft 8,885

$22.78 Ft 7,204

$31.22 Ft 9,872

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 Ft 1,076

$2.78 Ft 878

$4.95 Ft 1,564

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 Ft 440

$1.23 Ft 390

$1.71 Ft 539

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 Ft 5,953

$17.26 Ft 5,457

$20.71 Ft 6,547

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 583

$1.72 Ft 543

$1.95 Ft 617

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

$31.3K Ft 9.9M

$28.7K Ft 9.1M

$33.7K Ft 10.6M

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

$35.5K Ft 11.2M

$30.9K Ft 9.8M

$38.8K Ft 12.3M

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

$162 Ft 51.3K

$119 Ft 37.6K

$242 Ft 76.5K

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

$27.02 Ft 8,543

$15.74 Ft 4,975

$37.76 Ft 11.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.54 Ft 7,444

$18.19 Ft 5,753

$34.49 Ft 10.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 Ft 16.7K

$32.27 Ft 10.2K

$78.2 Ft 24.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 Ft 5,525

$11.14 Ft 3,522

$25.46 Ft 8,050

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 Ft 2,846

$7.05 Ft 2,229

$12.86 Ft 4,065

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

$404 Ft 127.7K

$191 Ft 60.3K

$827 Ft 261.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K Ft 3.6M

$4,995 Ft 1.6M

$29.8K Ft 9.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 Ft 28.7K

$37.80 Ft 12.0K

$139 Ft 43.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.31 Ft 11.8K

$19.05 Ft 6,024

$63.5 Ft 20.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 Ft 31.0K

$64.2 Ft 20.3K

$132 Ft 41.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 Ft 32.6K

$62.9 Ft 19.9K

$141 Ft 44.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 Ft 192.7K

$450 Ft 142.4K

$965 Ft 305.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 Ft 144.8K

$310 Ft 98.0K

$682 Ft 215.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 Ft 328.2K

$642 Ft 202.9K

$1,797 Ft 568.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 Ft 258.7K

$550 Ft 173.8K

$1,351 Ft 427.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 Ft 1.2M

$2,390 Ft 755.7K

$6,417 Ft 2.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,889 Ft 913.3K

$1,764 Ft 557.6K

$4,810 Ft 1.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,340 Ft 423.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom averages $522 nationally. In Budapest, expect around $860, while Gyongyos – the country's most affordable city overall – comes in at $429.

The average net salary in Hungary is $1,221 – below average monthly costs of $1,288. Many locals rely on dual incomes or shared housing. Remote workers earning abroad find strong purchasing power here.

Groceries average around $249 per month nationally. A mid-range dinner for two costs about $53.0.

Most affordable: Gyongyos at $1,056 per month. The capital, Budapest, sits at $1,666. Across the country, monthly costs span roughly $610 between the cheapest and priciest cities.

Cost Highlights

Overall living costs ($1,288) is 6% below the global median of $1,368.

Average rent ($522) is 22% below the global median of $667.

Public transport ($26.00) is 24% below the global median of $34.00.

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	58	$633	$1,253	$1,750	$2,431	88.62	186.26
2	Békéscsaba	54460	54	$545	$1,156	$1,387	$2,221	89.81	242.67
3	Budaors	29398	72	$853	$1,577	$1,919	$3,089	21.47	264.69
4	Budapest	1686222	79	$847	$1,666	$2,199	$3,649	256.4	306.61
5	Csongrad	15409	63	$694	$1,336	$1,823	$2,825	25.03	165.76
6	Dabas	17542	63	$744	$1,362	$1,864	$2,719	57.56	333.86
7	Debrecen	201704	65	$766	$1,378	$1,884	$3,040	211.94	266.32
8	Dunaföldvár	8800	62	$712	$1,343	$1,715	$2,747	6.41	178.82
9	Dunakeszi	42747	62	$801	$1,364	$2,023	$2,723	64.47	301.67
10	Dunaujvaros	41394	58	$657	$1,241	$1,596	$2,585	90.45	316.33
11	Eger	49499	59	$671	$1,236	$1,468	$2,438	46.88	255.08
12	Érd	71338	55	$803	$1,181	$2,099	$2,876	161.83	296.04
13	Esztergom	28642	62	$742	$1,315	$2,095	$2,807	319.42	194.93
14	Godollo	32524	67	$726	$1,423	$1,921	$3,071	283.35	237.55
15	Gyongyos	27645	49	$568	$1,056	$1,503	$2,336	98.22	277.56
16	Gyor	130191	62	$764	$1,320	$1,920	$2,835	124.55	210.22
17	Heviz	4500	66	$813	$1,412	$2,114	$2,897	42.26	218.61
18	Hodmezovasarhely	41781	61	$836	$1,312	$2,171	$2,741	130.63	230.21
19	Kalocsa	14433	62	$678	$1,334	$1,963	$2,743	26.94	239.49
20	Kaposvár	58830	58	$602	$1,256	$1,452	$2,439	97.67	180.95
21	Kecskemet	109450	56	$731	$1,203	$1,555	$2,389	104.67	163.33
22	Kiskunfelegyhaza	28562	63	$850	$1,370	$2,201	$2,814	219.92	137.35
23	Kisvarda	14888	60	$729	$1,293	$1,612	$2,698	104.23	186.36
24	Lake Balaton	275000	52	$619	$1,109	$1,599	$2,268	139.01	115.86
25	Miskolc	143502	57	$698	$1,221	$1,744	$2,534	45.06	272.38
26	Mohacs	17200	60	$799	$1,282	$1,833	$2,669	138.09	256.14
27	Nagykanizsa	42502	52	$697	$1,104	$2,025	$2,296	119.93	220.93
28	Nyiregyhaza	115359	49	$694	$1,059	$1,638	$1,873	103.21	246.84
29	Paks	17917	55	$690	$1,189	$1,545	$2,387	205.58	251.06
30	Paszto	9500	63	$791	$1,388	$2,116	$2,893	210.35	176.12
31	Pecs	140330	65	$759	$1,389	$1,979	$2,863	36.08	267.37
32	Siofok	24021	60	$796	$1,295	$1,784	$2,943	51.33	240.86
33	Sopron	61589	65	$770	$1,406	$1,693	$2,728	80.64	247.27
34	Szeged	157930	59	$753	$1,274	$1,949	$2,733	44.79	228.16
35	Szekesfehervar	96024	53	$753	$1,141	$1,688	$2,567	87.08	302.15
36	Szekszard	29707	57	$634	$1,245	$1,928	$2,556	88.51	245.29
37	Szentendre	28444	70	$808	$1,498	$2,227	$2,835	96.98	255.22
38	Szolnok	66426	53	$664	$1,128	$1,694	$2,379	34.31	302.32
39	Szombathely	77757	60	$712	$1,258	$1,823	$2,753	22.07	227.02
40	Tamási	8000	55	$643	$1,165	$1,936	$2,487	38.7	217.97
41	Tatabanya	65861	60	$626	$1,269	$1,996	$2,576	26.59	299.51
42	Vac	34001	63	$782	$1,329	$2,453	$3,232	166.29	233.74
43	Veszprem	56029	64	$699	$1,397	$2,198	$2,754	123.38	210.32
44	Zalaegerszeg	55152	52	$621	$1,131	$1,867	$2,277	159.3	230.5

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 $1,056 in smaller cities to $1,666 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, $1,000 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 $1,056 per month. Not the cheapest option out there, but far from the most expensive – a reasonable balance of cost and quality of life.