Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Appleton, WI and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,097 in Appleton, WI, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,097

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,097 per month in Appleton, WI vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Appleton, WI $2,097
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,238 per month in Appleton, WI vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Appleton, WI $3,238
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,380 per month in Appleton, WI vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Appleton, WI $4,380
Budapest $3,489

Appleton, WI costs about 29% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Appleton, WI and Budapest sit above the global median – Appleton, WI by 56%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 $17.91

$13.99 Ft 4,551

28.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 $66.1

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

9.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 $11.11

$9.96 Ft 3,241

11.55%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$3.38 Ft 1,100

54.73%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.13 Ft 692

23.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.87 Ft 608

21.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.75 Ft 1,221

22.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 $6.20

$3.57 Ft 1,162

73.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.13 Ft 368

-13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.84 Ft 599

63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.39 Ft 777

115.48%

Eggs

$4.71 $4.71

$3.83 Ft 1,245

22.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 $14.34

$11.33 Ft 3,686

26.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 $8.43

$6.74 Ft 2,192

25.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$14.69 Ft 4,780

4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$1.84 Ft 597

172.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.01 Ft 653

-34.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.36 Ft 767

30.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.77 Ft 1,226

14.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.96 Ft 313

114.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.03 Ft 334

169.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.56 Ft 509

39.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$0.66 Ft 216

374.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 $10.86

$7.96 Ft 2,591

36.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$6.01 Ft 1,954

151.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.30 Ft 421

29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.08 Ft 676

67.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-0.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.30 Ft 424

9.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 $24.47

$19.78 Ft 6,436

23.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.81 Ft 591

-43.65%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

23.77%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-27.55%

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

$176 $176

$170 Ft 55.3K

3.73%

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

$44.67 $44.67

$23.98 Ft 7,802

86.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$23.42 Ft 7,621

158.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.78 $23.78

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-64.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.09 $41.09

$19.18 Ft 6,239

114.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.48 $14.48

$9.52 Ft 3,098

52.10%

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

$1,512 $1,512

$537 Ft 174.6K

181.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K $31.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

87.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.33 $39.33

$101 Ft 33.0K

-61.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.09 $25.09

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-41.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.9 $50.9

$113 Ft 36.7K

-54.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$119 Ft 38.6K

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$805 Ft 262.0K

86.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 $1,017

$629 Ft 204.7K

61.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 $1,804

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

16.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 $1,910

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

63.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-58.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,268 $2,268

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-42.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,011 $4,011

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

146.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.43

-0.93%

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

Last update for Appleton, WI: 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

Appleton, WI

$1K 47.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 38.1% $387

Groceries & Markets

Appleton, WI

$381 17.8%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 32.4% $123

Eating Out

Appleton, WI

$294 13.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 23.8% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Appleton, WI

$282 13.2%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 22.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Appleton, WI

$101 4.7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 67.9% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 61.7% $33

Getting Around

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 317% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,501 in Appleton, WI 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 147% higher in Appleton, WI, 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 $66.0 in Appleton, WI versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

05:45 5:45 AM

7 h ahead of Appleton, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,139

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 →

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Between locations

Appleton, WI Budapest 7,600 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Appleton, WI
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

Appleton, WI vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Appleton, WI is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,145 per month in Appleton, WI 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Appleton, WI and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Appleton, WI, 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 $1,621, than in Appleton, WI at $2,097. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Appleton, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Appleton, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.