✦ Compare
Berlin vs
Budapest
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Budapest, HU, you'd need
$46,010 / year
Budapest, HU is 39% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Budapest, HU vs Berlin, DE)
- Housing-47%
- Food & groceries-37%
- Transport-41%
- Utilities-28%
- Healthcare-42%
- Goods & services-32%
▤ Full comparison
| Berlin, DE | Budapest, HU | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 110 | 67 |
| Housing | 122 | 65 |
| Food | 108 | 68 |
| Transport | 85 | 50 |
| Utilities | 132 | 95 |
| Healthcare | 95 | 55 |
| Goods & services | 106 | 72 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,400/mo | $700/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,000/mo | $520/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,800/mo | $1,350/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $8,500 | $3,200 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $910 | $1,484 |
| Inexpensive meal | $15 | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | $55 | $30 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 15% |
| VAT / sales tax | 19% | 27% |
| Social security (employee) | 20% | — |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 9% |
| Capital gains | 26.4% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,900/mo | $900/mo |
| Minimum wage | $2,200/mo | $700/mo |
| GDP per capita | $60,496 | $23,320 |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.2% | 3.7% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | High | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 120 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 60 | 72 |
| Healthcare index | 78 | 60 |
| Pollution index | 55 | 50 |
| Internet speed | 120 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 88 | 80 |
| Public transport | 90 | 82 |
| Family-friendly | 68 | 65 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 81 yr | 77 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +1 °C | 0 °C |
| July avg | +19 °C | +22 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 60 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 570 mm | 520 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1.5 h | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Germany vs Hungary. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Berlin to Budapest: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Berlin to Budapest, your cost of living will be roughly 39% cheaper. Budapest’s cost-of-living index is 67 versus 110 for Berlin (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Berlin cheaper than Budapest?
Budapest is about 39% cheaper than Berlin overall — its cost-of-living index is 67 versus 110 for Berlin.
How much do you need to earn in Budapest to live like in Berlin?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Berlin is worth about $46,010 in Budapest. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Berlin or Budapest?
Hungary has the lower top income-tax rate — 15% versus 45% in Germany.
◷ More comparisons from Berlin
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.