Budapest at a glance
- Budapest is the most expensive of Hungary's 2 priced cities: $1,345 a month in essentials, 19% above Debrecen at $1,128.
- The average net salary of $1,743 covers that 1.3×.
- 101.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at county level.
- PM2.5 averages 15 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,345 |
|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $663 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $868 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $137 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $315 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $202 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $28 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,743 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,273 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,676 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Budapest, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $14.21 |
|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $67.95 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $11.06 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.47 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.79 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.79 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.09 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.97 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.27 |
|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.84 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.58 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.98 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $12.07 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $7.05 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.10 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.20 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.82 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.10 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.10 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.65 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.58 |
|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $28.45 |
| Taxi start | $3.48 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.39 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.88 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $177.85 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $24.39 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $25.32 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $72.63 |
|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $9.48 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Budapest has 101.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (county level). That is the lowest of the 8 Hungary cities we track. Hungary's national figure is 106.6, so Budapest runs 5 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Budapest ranks against every city we track
Budapest sits ahead of 60% of the 545 cities we track on local salary. On safety it is ahead of 60% of 562. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 29% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Budapest sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Visions of Domino, CC BY 2.0.
