Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acton, MA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,160 in Acton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Acton, MA
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Acton, MA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Acton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,160

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Acton, MA and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Acton, MA and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,160 per month in Acton, MA vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Acton, MA $3,160
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,763 per month in Acton, MA vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Acton, MA $4,763
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $6,366 per month in Acton, MA vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Acton, MA $6,366
Budapest $3,489

Acton, MA costs about 95% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Acton, MA and Budapest sit above the global median – Acton, MA by 136%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 $17.95

$13.99 Ft 4,551

28.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 $97.4

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

61.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 $13.55

$9.96 Ft 3,241

36.04%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$3.38 Ft 1,100

63.02%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.13 Ft 692

32.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.87 Ft 608

43.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.75 Ft 1,221

35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.57 Ft 1,162

120.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.13 Ft 368

-15.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.84 Ft 599

30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.39 Ft 777

123.43%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$3.83 Ft 1,245

24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$11.33 Ft 3,686

0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$6.74 Ft 2,192

110.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.70 $17.70

$14.69 Ft 4,780

20.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$1.84 Ft 597

130.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.01 Ft 653

-13.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.36 Ft 767

24.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.77 Ft 1,226

4.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.96 Ft 313

101.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.03 Ft 334

174.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.56 Ft 509

24.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.19 $13.19

$7.96 Ft 2,591

65.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 $9.10

$6.01 Ft 1,954

51.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.30 Ft 421

58.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.08 Ft 676

99.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.81 Ft 591

-50.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.4K $37.4K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

27.59%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-22.57%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$317 $317

$170 Ft 55.3K

86.31%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$23.98 Ft 7,802

156.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$23.42 Ft 7,621

214.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.04 $25.04

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-62.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$9.52 Ft 3,098

38.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,836 $1,836

$537 Ft 174.6K

241.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K $30.1K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

81.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 $56.2

$101 Ft 33.0K

-44.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 $38.84

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-9.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 $79.7

$113 Ft 36.7K

-29.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 $99.2

$119 Ft 38.6K

-16.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 $2,657

$805 Ft 262.0K

230.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 $1,890

$629 Ft 204.7K

200.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 $2,852

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

84.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,608 $3,608

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

209.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,839 $8,839

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

443.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.43

3.27%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Acton, MA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Acton, MA

$1.9K 59.4%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 66.7% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Acton, MA

$452 14.2%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 51.9% $235

Groceries & Markets

Acton, MA

$351 * 11%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 26.6% $93

Eating Out

Acton, MA

$313 9.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 28.5% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Acton, MA

$123 3.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 37.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Acton, MA

$51 1.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 66.2% $34

Getting Around

Acton, MA

- * 0%

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,657 in Acton, MA versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 444% higher in Acton, MA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Acton, MA versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Acton, MA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

03:53 3:53 AM

6 h ahead of Acton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,596

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Acton, MA Budapest 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Acton, MA
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Acton, MA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Acton, MA costs about 95% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,741 per month in Acton, MA and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,160 in Acton, MA and $1,621 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 95%.

Kindergarten costs $1,836 per month in Acton, MA and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Acton, MA at $3,160. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Acton, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Budapest costs $1,621 versus $3,160 in Acton, MA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Acton, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.