Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ames, IA 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 Ames, IA and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,619 in Budapest.

Ames, IA $2,142
Budapest $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $2,524 in Budapest.

Ames, IA $3,242
Budapest $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $3,429 in Budapest.

Ames, IA $4,342
Budapest $3,429

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Budapest 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$13.94 Ft 4,503

30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-15.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.19 Ft 3,291

19.53%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.26 Ft 1,055

49.39%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.14 Ft 690

21.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.78 Ft 577

26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.71 Ft 1,198

9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.77 Ft 1,217

80.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.15 Ft 371

-22.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.79 Ft 578

98.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.49 Ft 804

30.92%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-14.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-9.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$6.62 Ft 2,139

105.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$14.69 Ft 4,745

29.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$1.83 Ft 591

221.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.05 Ft 661

-11.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.37 Ft 765

182.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.90 Ft 1,260

33.85%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.99 Ft 320

358.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.00 Ft 322

307.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.58 Ft 511

46.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.67 Ft 216

264.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$7.96 Ft 2,572

63.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$6.22 Ft 2,009

159.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.27 Ft 411

125.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.03 Ft 654

145.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.52 Ft 490

-34.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$28.02 Ft 9,053

26.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.31 Ft 1,070

53.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.37 Ft 442

23.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$19.83 Ft 6,406

21.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.82 Ft 589

-47.25%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-16.99%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-25.84%

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

$176 $176

$171 Ft 55.3K

3.03%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$23.51 Ft 7,596

131.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$23.29 Ft 7,526

205.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$18.89 Ft 6,104

4.50%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$9.30 Ft 3,004

71.72%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$533 Ft 172.3K

156.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

115.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-41.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

2.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$110 Ft 35.7K

-18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$119 Ft 38.4K

-12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$830 Ft 268.3K

21.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$622 Ft 200.9K

32.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

16.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

28.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-58.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-43.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

117.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

6.45

-0.62%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 24.4% $200

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 40.9% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 27.8% $84

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 24% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 25.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 14.7% $15

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 16.7% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $830 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 118% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries flip the comparison at $436 vs $258, with Budapest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:37 12:37 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

7 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Ames, IA Budapest 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
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

Ames, IA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Budapest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 118% higher in Ames, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $830 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budapest runs roughly 27% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $533 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Budapest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Budapest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA and Budapest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Budapest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.