Cost of Living · FR vs HU
🇫🇷 Paris vs 🇭🇺 Budapest: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,761 in France vs $1,074 in Hungary — 39.02% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Hungary
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -43.21%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -43.21%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -43.21%
Closest to France prices
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -14.91%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -14.93%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -14.94%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | France | Hungary | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,227 | $697 (246,064 HUF) | -43.21% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $982 | $557 (196,851 HUF) | -43.21% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,244 | $1,274 (449,943 HUF) | -43.21% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13.62 | $8.73 (3,083 HUF) | -35.9% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $56.74 | $36.38 (12,847 HUF) | -35.88% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $8.54 | $5.70 (2,013 HUF) | -33.26% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.90 | $0.65 (230 HUF) | -27.78% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.61 | $1.89 (667 HUF) | -27.59% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.78 | $2.01 (710 HUF) | -27.7% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.16 | $5.91 (2,087 HUF) | -27.57% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.27 | $2.36 (833 HUF) | -27.83% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.92 | $2.84 (1,003 HUF) | -27.55% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $9.80 | $7.09 (2,504 HUF) | -27.65% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.63 | $1.18 (417 HUF) | -27.61% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.54 | $2.91 (1,028 HUF) | -35.9% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.23 | $6.15 (2,172 HUF) | -14.94% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.78 | $2.43 (858 HUF) | -35.71% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.88 | $1.36 (480 HUF) | -27.66% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $50.44 | $33.67 (11,890 HUF) | -33.25% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.13 | $1.42 (501 HUF) | -33.33% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.03 | $1.94 (685 HUF) | -35.97% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.36 | $0.87 (307 HUF) | -36.03% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.86 | $0.73 (258 HUF) | -15.12% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $155 | $104 (36,585 HUF) | -33.25% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $54.32 | $36.26 (12,805 HUF) | -33.25% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $34.92 | $23.31 (8,232 HUF) | -33.25% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $37.83 | $24.25 (8,564 HUF) | -35.9% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $10.59 | $6.79 (2,398 HUF) | -35.88% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $22.70 | $14.55 (5,138 HUF) | -35.9% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $49.69 | $42.28 (14,931 HUF) | -14.91% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $81.32 | $69.18 (24,430 HUF) | -14.93% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $189 | $121 (42,822 HUF) | -35.89% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Hungary than France?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,074 in Hungary versus $1,761 in France — 39.02% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Hungary?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $2.91 in Hungary (≈ 1027.64 HUF), versus about $4.54 in France.
- How much is rent in Hungary compared to France?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $697/month in Hungary versus $1,227/month in France (-43.21%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.