expatwhy.

Cost of living in Budapest

One person can expect roughly $1,693 a month in Budapest, before flights and one-off setup costs.

one person, monthly

$1,693

What that actually covers.

Monthly cost components for Budapest
ItemUSD / month
Rent, one bedroomverified

From a named local source.

$1,060
Food and groceries$230
Utilities$130
Mobile data$14
Local transportverified$25
Coworking

20/day × 4 days/mo regional estimate

$80
Buffer

Headroom for everything not itemised above.

$154
Total$1,693

Rent verified against a named source; the rest are modelled components.

What this figure leaves out

Flights, visa fees, health insurance, a rental deposit (often one to three months up front), agency fees, furniture, and the first-month overlap where you pay for a short stay and a lease at the same time. Budget for those separately; they are a one-off cash need, not a monthly cost.