City comparison
Prague vs Budapest: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Budapest is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €400 a month less than Prague, mostly because of rent. They’re in different countries, so visa routes, taxes and healthcare differ too: see below.
Choose Prague for
- English-friendliness
- Safety
- Walkability
- Flights home
Choose Budapest for
- Affordability
- Sunny, warm climate
- Lower living costs
Prague vs Budapest at a glance
| Prague | Budapest | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Czechia | Hungary |
| Single budget / month | €2,100 | €1,700 |
| Couple budget / month | €3,000 | €2,500 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,050 | €750 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 5°C / 41°F | 6°C / 42°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 26°C / 78°F | 28°C / 83°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 1,717 | 1,928 |
| City size | Capital / metropolis | Capital / metropolis |
| Coastal | No | No |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Prague or Budapest?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €2,100 a month for one person in Prague and €1,700 in Budapest, rent included. For a couple it’s €3,000 vs €2,500, and for a family of four €4,200 vs €3,600.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,050 in Prague against €750 in Budapest, while a monthly transit pass costs €23 vs €25. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 5°C (41°F) in Prague and 6°C (42°F) in Budapest. In summer it’s roughly 26°C vs 28°C. Prague gets about 1,717 hours of sunshine a year and Budapest about 1,928.
1,717 hours of sunshine a year · 454 mm of rain a year · Source: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) 1991-2020 normals for the Clementinum station, via the Wikipedia climate table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4°C / 39°F | -1°C / 31°F |
| Feb | 6°C / 42°F | 0°C / 32°F |
| Mar | 10°C / 50°F | 3°C / 37°F |
| Apr | 16°C / 61°F | 7°C / 44°F |
| May | 21°C / 70°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| Jun | 24°C / 76°F | 15°C / 59°F |
| Jul | 27°C / 80°F | 17°C / 62°F |
| Aug | 26°C / 79°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| Sep | 20°C / 69°F | 12°C / 54°F |
| Oct | 14°C / 58°F | 8°C / 46°F |
| Nov | 9°C / 47°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| Dec | 5°C / 41°F | 1°C / 33°F |
1,928 hours of sunshine a year · 526 mm of rain a year · Source: HungaroMet 1991-2020 normals for Budapest, via the Wikipedia climate table; sunshine from an older NCEI period (1961-1990)
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5°C / 40°F | -1°C / 30°F |
| Feb | 7°C / 45°F | 0°C / 32°F |
| Mar | 12°C / 54°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| Apr | 19°C / 66°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| May | 23°C / 74°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Jun | 27°C / 80°F | 16°C / 61°F |
| Jul | 29°C / 84°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Aug | 29°C / 84°F | 18°C / 64°F |
| Sep | 23°C / 74°F | 13°C / 56°F |
| Oct | 17°C / 63°F | 9°C / 48°F |
| Nov | 11°C / 51°F | 4°C / 40°F |
| Dec | 5°C / 41°F | -0°C / 32°F |
Daily life
Prague is a capital / metropolis; Budapest is a capital / metropolis. Prague is the most complete city of our four: fairytale center, dense metro and tram network, big international community and a path for freelancers via the zivno visa. It is no longer cheap, and the visa process is slow, but the quality of daily life is high. Budapest offers capital-city culture, thermal baths and a big nightlife scene at the lowest price level of our four countries. It suits budget-minded remote workers and anyone on the White Card. The trade-offs are Hungarian-language bureaucracy, patchy English outside the center and no US tax treaty.
Living in Prague: the upsides and downsides
- Excellent, cheap public transport
- Huge historic center and abundant parks
- Central position for weekend trips by train
- Downside: Rents have risen and good apartments go quickly
- Downside: Tourist crowds in the center
Living in Budapest: the upsides and downsides
- Low rents and restaurant prices for a capital
- Excellent trams, metro and cheap monthly pass
- Thermal baths and strong culture
- Downside: Hungarian is extremely difficult
- Downside: Pickpocketing and nightlife scams are common in tourist areas
Visas and residency
Prague is in Czechia and Budapest is in Hungary. The main routes for each:
- Czech Freelance / Business Visa (Zivno Trade Licence) - Freelance visa, open
- Hungary Guest Investor Residence Permit - Golden visa, open, €250,000 investment
- Hungary White Card (Digital Nomad Residence Permit) - Digital nomad visa, open, €3,000/mo income
Read the full guides: living in Prague and living in Budapest.
Related comparisons
- Prague vs Vienna
- Tallinn vs Prague
- Tallinn vs Budapest
- Budapest vs Vienna
- Krakow vs Prague
- Krakow vs Budapest
- Warsaw vs Prague
- Warsaw vs Budapest
- Berlin vs Budapest
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.