Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, GA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,200 in Athens, GA, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Athens, GA
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Athens, GA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Athens, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,200

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,200 per month in Athens, GA vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Athens, GA $2,200
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Athens, GA vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Athens, GA $3,313
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Athens, GA vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Athens, GA $4,426
Budapest $3,483

Athens, GA costs about 34% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Athens, GA and Budapest sit above the global median – Athens, GA by 62%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.19 $13.19

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-6.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

4.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 $10.36

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-0.10%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$3.46 Ft 1,117

64.74%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.07 Ft 669

41.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.77 Ft 572

24.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$3.69 Ft 1,191

103.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$3.80 Ft 1,229

105.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.16 Ft 374

-29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.85 Ft 598

58.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.40 Ft 776

173.75%

Eggs

$3.27 $3.27

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-18.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-22.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$6.87 Ft 2,221

53.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$14.49 Ft 4,682

0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.88 Ft 607

217.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.14 Ft 693

-36.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$2.30 Ft 744

170.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.04 Ft 1,304

17.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.02 Ft 329

312.75%

Onion (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$0.99 Ft 320

319.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.58 Ft 510

65.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.70 Ft 225

182.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 $9.03

$8.03 Ft 2,594

12.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 $18.65

$6.18 Ft 1,997

201.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.24 Ft 401

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.06 Ft 666

187.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.58 $15.58

$27.52 Ft 8,893

-43.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.93 Ft 624

-48.19%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-2.67%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-22.40%

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

$285 $285

$175 Ft 56.4K

62.96%

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

$41.91 $41.91

$23.62 Ft 7,631

77.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 $79.7

$23.60 Ft 7,625

237.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.05 $25.05

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-63.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.80 $7.80

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-59.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 $12.95

$10.31 Ft 3,333

25.61%

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

$872 $872

$535 Ft 172.9K

62.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,396 $9,396

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-44.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-45.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 $31.97

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-26.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 $64.6

$112 Ft 36.1K

-42.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 $54.5

$119 Ft 38.4K

-54.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$832 Ft 268.8K

61.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 $957

$629 Ft 203.3K

52.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 $2,322

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

46.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

55.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-57.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 $2,230

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-43.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 $3,487

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

103.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.45

4.19%

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

Last update for Athens, GA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens, GA

$957 43.5%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 34.2% $327

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, GA

$406 18.5%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 45.4% $184

Groceries & Markets

Athens, GA

$399 18.2%

Budapest

$262 16% 34.5% $138

Eating Out

Athens, GA

$279 12.7%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 18.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, GA

$93 4.2%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 81.6% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, GA

$51 2.3%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 75.6% $39

Getting Around

Athens, GA

$16 * 0.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 182% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,340 in Athens, GA versus $832 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 104% higher in Athens, GA, 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 $64.0 in Athens, GA versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, GA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

09:33 9:33 AM

6 h ahead of Athens, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens, GA Budapest 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens, GA
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

Athens, GA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Athens, GA is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,300 per month in Athens, GA and $2,461 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.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Athens, GA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Athens, GA and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Athens, GA at $2,200. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Athens, GA 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, Athens, GA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.