# Budapest — relocation profile

Budapest, Hungary · Flawed democracy · livability 74/100

## At a glance

- **Country:** Hungary
- **Region:** Europe
- **Estimated monthly cost of living (solo, renting in the centre):** $2,402/month
- **Livability score:** 74 / 100 (rank 33 of 132 Townleap cities)
- **Settler safety score:** 78 / 100 (rank 69 of 132)
- **Cost vs New York City:** 74% cheaper
- **Also appears in:** Remote Workers, Lowest Crime, Budget Maximizers, European Dream, Startup Cities, Remote Work Visa Cities, Fresh Start Cities, Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly Cities, English-Friendly Cities, Retire Abroad, Warm & Affordable Europe, Eastern Europe, Young Professionals, Tech Settler, Open Door Cities, Leaving the UK, Freelance-Friendly

## Cost of living

| Item | USD / month |
| --- | --- |
| Rent — 1-bed, city centre | $918 |
| Rent — 1-bed, outside centre | $694 |
| Rent — 3-bed, city centre | $1,690 |
| Average net salary (after tax) | $1,747 |
| **Total monthly cost (solo, rent included)** | **$2,402** |

One-off cost to land (deposit, agency fee, furnishing, first admin): $4,706.

Reference point: 74% cheaper than NYC.

## Settling

- **Democracy index (EIU, 0–10):** 6.5
- **Regime type:** Flawed democracy
- **Homicide rate:** 0.7 per 100,000/year
- **Time to permanent residency:** 3 years
- **Time to citizenship:** 11 years
- **English proficiency:** High (EF EPI 590)
- **Main languages:** Hungarian

## Day to day

- **Summer (low–high):** 15–26°C
- **Winter (low–high):** -2–4°C
- **Internet speed:** 80.39 Mbps
- **Healthcare index (0–100):** 71.6

## Economy

- **GDP per capita:** $48,552 (2024, country-level)
- **Inflation:** 3.7% (2024)
- **Unemployment:** 4.5% (2025)
- **Population:** 1,685,209

## Similar cities

| City | Country | Rent (1-bed, centre) | Monthly cost | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Lyon | France | $972 | $2,854 | /cities/lyon |
| Krakow | Poland | $976 | $2,519 | /cities/krakow |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia | $1,118 | $2,916 | /cities/ljubljana |
| Bratislava | Slovakia | $1,118 | $2,707 | /cities/bratislava |
| Kosice | Slovakia | $965 | $2,523 | /cities/kosice |

## Related pages

- Cost of living breakdown: /cost-of-living/budapest
- Compare with another city: /cities/compare
- Visa and residency paths: /cities/budapest/visa

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Source: [Townleap](https://www.townleap.com/cities/budapest) — permanent-relocation data for people picking a country to actually live in, not visit.

Cost figures are Numbeo-derived and in USD unless labelled otherwise. Economics are World Bank. Every number on this page is also on the HTML page at the same URL — this variant exists so you do not have to parse a React app to read a rent figure.