Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, NY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,595 in Amherst, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, NY
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Amherst, NY Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,595

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,595 per month in Amherst, NY vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Amherst, NY $2,595
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,768 per month in Amherst, NY vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Amherst, NY $3,768
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Amherst, NY vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Amherst, NY $4,940
Budapest $3,429

Amherst, NY costs about 60% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amherst, NY and Budapest sit above the global median – Amherst, NY by 92%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 $18.34

$13.94 Ft 4,503

31.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

23.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$10.19 Ft 3,291

19.82%

Cappuccino

$5.97 $5.97

$3.26 Ft 1,055

83.13%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.14 Ft 690

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.78 Ft 577

16.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$3.71 Ft 1,198

90.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 $7.67

$3.77 Ft 1,217

103.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.15 Ft 371

-16.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.79 Ft 578

84.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.49 Ft 804

74.70%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.90 Ft 1,261

4.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$11.10 Ft 3,587

0.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$6.62 Ft 2,139

52.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$14.69 Ft 4,745

9.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.83 Ft 591

168.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$2.05 Ft 661

-33.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.37 Ft 765

94.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$3.90 Ft 1,260

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$0.99 Ft 320

171.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.00 Ft 322

202.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.58 Ft 511

52.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.67 Ft 216

259.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.28 $14.28

$7.96 Ft 2,572

79.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$6.22 Ft 2,009

142.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.27 Ft 411

61.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.03 Ft 654

102.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.52 Ft 490

34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.31 Ft 1,070

13.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.37 Ft 442

59.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 $30.49

$19.83 Ft 6,406

53.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.82 Ft 589

-39.01%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

16.86%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-25.07%

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

$230 $230

$171 Ft 55.3K

34.59%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$23.51 Ft 7,596

119.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$23.29 Ft 7,526

189.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.68 $40.68

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-39.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 $19.95

$18.89 Ft 6,104

5.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$9.30 Ft 3,004

39.35%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$533 Ft 172.3K

179.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

6.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-46.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 $44.32

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 $97.2

$110 Ft 35.7K

-11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$119 Ft 38.4K

-3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$830 Ft 268.3K

92.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 $1,306

$622 Ft 200.9K

110.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 $2,483

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

55.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 $2,117

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

80.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,696 $2,696

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-53.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,376 $2,376

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-38.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,054 $4,054

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

145.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

6.45

1.09%

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

Last update for Amherst, NY: 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

Amherst, NY

$1.3K 50.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 52.4% $684

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, NY

$387 14.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 33.4% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, NY

$349 13.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 37.6% $131

Eating Out

Amherst, NY

$324 12.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 31.3% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, NY

$139 5.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 20.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, NY

$67 2.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 29.3% $20

Getting Around

Amherst, NY

$23 * 0.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 93.9% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,601 in Amherst, NY versus $830 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 146% higher in Amherst, NY, 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 $76.0 in Amherst, NY versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

09:47 9:47 AM

6 h ahead of Amherst, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Between locations

Amherst, NY Budapest 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Amherst, NY vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amherst, NY costs about 60% 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 $3,893 per month in Amherst, NY and $2,428 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Amherst, NY and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Amherst, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Amherst, NY at $2,595. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amherst, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Budapest costs $1,619 versus $2,595 in Amherst, NY. 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, Amherst, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.