The true monthly cost of renting in Budapest
The advertised rent is the starting point, not the whole number. Add the building charge, the utilities and the internet, and you have a monthly figure you can plan around with confidence. This calculator does the adding up for you, and shows the cash you will want ready on moving day.
Add up your monthly cost
Start with the rent from the listing, then replace the example figures with the flat's real numbers as the landlord or agent shares them. Everything updates as you type and stays in your browser. Euro figures are approximate at about 365 HUF per EUR (ECB reference rate, 30 October 2026).
Assumptions and sources
- Example rent: about 260,000 HUF a month, the early-2026 citywide average asking rent for a one-bedroom (KSH-ingatlan.com rent index). Studios average about 190,000 HUF and two-bedrooms about 360,000 HUF. District ranges are on the neighborhoods page.
- Building charge (közös költség): about 9,000 to 37,000 HUF a month for a 50 to 60 m² flat. Each building sets its own rate: about 180 to 350 HUF per m² where water is metered separately and about 470 to 620 HUF per m² where water is included (2026 rate sheets from two Budapest buildings; there is no official statistic). See the monthly cost of renting and how renting works.
- Metered utilities (electricity, gas, water, heating, internet): about 30,000 to 55,000 HUF a month in total, from expat community reports collected in our research notes. The example split above (12,000 electricity, 15,000 heating, 5,000 water, 8,000 internet) is illustrative and sits inside that range; your own bills will differ.
- Deposit (kaució): 2 to 3 months' rent, often 3 with pets. Advance: usually the first month's rent. Agency fee: about one month's rent, only if an agent is used.
- EUR figures are approximate at about 365 HUF per EUR (ECB reference rate, 30 October 2026). Check the live rate before you transfer money.
What each line means
This section reads well on its own, with or without the calculator. Use it as a checklist when you talk to a landlord: a good landlord is happy to share these figures, and asking for them is completely normal in Budapest.
Rent (bérleti díj)
The monthly amount in the lease. In early 2026, citywide asking rents average about 190,000 HUF for a studio, 260,000 HUF for a one-bedroom and 360,000 HUF for a two-bedroom (KSH-ingatlan.com rent index). Central districts sit above those marks and outer districts below. If the rent is quoted in euros, agree in writing which exchange rate applies, or simply ask to fix it in forints.
Building charge (közös költség)
Most flats are in a condominium building (társasház), and every flat pays a monthly share toward the shared parts: cleaning, stair lighting, the lift, the garden, building insurance, the maintenance reserve and the building manager's fee. It typically runs about 9,000 to 37,000 HUF a month for a 50 to 60 m² flat, depending on the building and on whether water is included. Sometimes it is inside the rent and sometimes it is on top, so the one question worth asking every time is: "Does the rent include the közös költség?"
Electricity (áram)
Billed by meter for your flat. Ask to see a recent bill, and photograph the meter on the day you move in so the handover record starts from a clear reading.
Gas and heating (gáz, fűtés)
Many older flats have their own gas boiler, so heating arrives on the gas bill. Some buildings, especially larger blocks, are on district heating (távhő), which is usually billed through the building or the heating company and may appear alongside the közös költség. Heating costs rise in winter, so a yearly average gives the truest monthly picture.
Water (víz)
Some buildings include water in the közös költség, others bill it by meter. Either way it is usually one of the smaller lines.
Internet and mobile
Broadband is widely available and reasonably priced in Budapest. Include your phone plan here if you want the total to reflect your full monthly outgoings.
Home contents insurance
The building is normally insured through the közös költség. Insurance for your own belongings is optional and up to you; if you take a policy, add its monthly cost.
Deposit, advance and agency fee
At signing you usually pay a deposit (kaució) of 2 to 3 months' rent and the first month in advance. An agency fee of about one month's rent applies only if you rent through an agent. The deposit is yours: it is held for the tenancy and comes back at the end. Paying it by bank transfer and keeping a signed handover record is the simplest way to make sure it does. Our deposit guide walks through the steps, and when you move out the deposit return letter generator drafts a friendly request in Hungarian and English.
Rent averages: KSH-ingatlan.com rent index, early 2026, asking rents. Building charge: rate sheets published by two Budapest buildings (in force from 1 May 2026 and from 1 January 2026), retrieved 11 November 2026; examples, not an average. Utilities and deposit norms: our renting research notes, summarised on Costs & Legal and Renting. Euro figures approximate at about 365 HUF per EUR (ECB reference rate, 30 October 2026). Data and sources.
Moving in soon?
The move-in and deposit checklist covers the meter readings to note, the photos to take and the deposit details to agree in writing, so the end of the tenancy is as smooth as the start.