City comparison
Cost of living in Mexico City vs Budapest
One person needs about €1,284 a month in Mexico City and €1,220 in Budapest, rent included — Budapest is 5% cheaper overall.
Salary you'd need to keep the same lifestyle
Enter your current net monthly pay. We scale it by the full cost basket — rent, groceries, transport, utilities, eating out and internet.
To live in Budapest the way you live in Mexico City on €3,000, you need
€2,850/ month net
5% less than today (-€150)
- Mexico City today
- Basket €1,284 · left over €1,716 (57%)
- Budapest at the matched salary
- Basket €1,220 · left over €1,630 (57%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 189% over in Budapest (comfortable) vs 148% in Mexico City. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇲🇽 Mexico City
Great food, US time zones, and rents rising quickly in Roma and Condesa.
Monthly budget: €1,284
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
🇭🇺 Budapest
Thermal baths, cheap rent and a currency that makes euro income stretch.
Monthly budget: €1,220
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
Should you move to Mexico City or Budapest?
On salary, Budapest pays more for tech roles (€2,300 versus €1,900 a month), so the money left over after costs is €1,080 in Budapest at the top end.
Rent drives most of the gap: €850 in Mexico City against €750 in Budapest. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Mexico City at 78 and Budapest at 78 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.