Cost of Living · TR vs HU
🇹🇷 Istanbul vs 🇭🇺 Budapest: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $745 in Türkiye vs $1,074 in Hungary — 44.07% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Hungary
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 12.31%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: 12.84%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 12.84%
Closest to Türkiye prices
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +52.61%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +52.61%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +52.61%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Türkiye | Hungary | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $457 | $697 (246,064 HUF) | +52.61% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $365 | $557 (196,851 HUF) | +52.61% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $835 | $1,274 (449,943 HUF) | +52.61% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.26 | $8.73 (3,083 HUF) | +39.46% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $26.10 | $36.38 (12,847 HUF) | +39.39% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $4.21 | $5.70 (2,013 HUF) | +35.39% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.51 | $0.65 (230 HUF) | +27.45% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.48 | $1.89 (667 HUF) | +27.7% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.58 | $2.01 (710 HUF) | +27.22% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $4.64 | $5.91 (2,087 HUF) | +27.37% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $1.86 | $2.36 (833 HUF) | +26.88% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.23 | $2.84 (1,003 HUF) | +27.35% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $5.57 | $7.09 (2,504 HUF) | +27.29% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $0.93 | $1.18 (417 HUF) | +26.88% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.09 | $2.91 (1,028 HUF) | +39.23% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.45 | $6.15 (2,172 HUF) | +12.84% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $1.74 | $2.43 (858 HUF) | +39.66% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.07 | $1.36 (480 HUF) | +27.1% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $24.90 | $33.67 (11,890 HUF) | +35.22% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.05 | $1.42 (501 HUF) | +35.24% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.39 | $1.94 (685 HUF) | +39.57% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.63 | $0.87 (307 HUF) | +38.1% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.65 | $0.73 (258 HUF) | +12.31% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $76.60 | $104 (36,585 HUF) | +35.25% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $26.81 | $36.26 (12,805 HUF) | +35.25% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $17.24 | $23.31 (8,232 HUF) | +35.21% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $17.40 | $24.25 (8,564 HUF) | +39.37% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $4.87 | $6.79 (2,398 HUF) | +39.43% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $10.44 | $14.55 (5,138 HUF) | +39.37% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $37.47 | $42.28 (14,931 HUF) | +12.84% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $61.31 | $69.18 (24,430 HUF) | +12.84% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $86.99 | $121 (42,822 HUF) | +39.4% |
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 more expensive is Hungary than Türkiye?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,074 in Hungary versus $745 in Türkiye — 44.07% more. 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 $2.09 in Türkiye.
- How much is rent in Hungary compared to Türkiye?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $697/month in Hungary versus $457/month in Türkiye (+52.61%). 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.