Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Augusta, GA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,454 in Augusta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Augusta, GA
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Augusta, GA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Augusta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,454

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,454 in Augusta, GA versus $1,619 in Budapest.

Augusta, GA $2,454
Budapest $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Augusta, GA versus $2,524 in Budapest.

Augusta, GA $3,473
Budapest $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,492 in Augusta, GA versus $3,429 in Budapest.

Augusta, GA $4,492
Budapest $3,429

Living in Augusta, GA is roughly 52% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Augusta, GA 82% above, Budapest 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 $17.75

$13.94 Ft 4,503

27.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

44.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 $9.72

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-4.61%

Cappuccino

$6.09 $6.09

$3.26 Ft 1,055

86.81%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$2.14 Ft 690

27.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.78 Ft 577

26.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.23 $5.23

$3.71 Ft 1,198

40.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$3.77 Ft 1,217

117.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.15 Ft 371

-26.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.79 Ft 578

24.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.49 Ft 804

60.64%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$3.90 Ft 1,261

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$11.10 Ft 3,587

2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.62 Ft 2,139

33.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 $14.51

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.83 Ft 591

140.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.05 Ft 661

-26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.37 Ft 765

54.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-35.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.99 Ft 320

70.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.00 Ft 322

189.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.58 Ft 511

19.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.67 Ft 216

252.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.34 $8.34

$7.96 Ft 2,572

4.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$6.22 Ft 2,009

59.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.27 Ft 411

37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.03 Ft 654

158.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.52 Ft 490

1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.40 $39.40

$28.02 Ft 9,053

40.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-38.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.37 Ft 442

-10.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 $50.1

$19.83 Ft 6,406

152.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.82 Ft 589

-50.00%

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

$33.7K $33.7K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

13.24%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-17.14%

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

$147 $147

$171 Ft 55.3K

-13.95%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$23.51 Ft 7,596

148.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.0 $84.0

$23.29 Ft 7,526

260.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.65 $27.65

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-59.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 $15.22

$9.30 Ft 3,004

63.66%

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

$941 $941

$533 Ft 172.3K

76.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K $18.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

7.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-49.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 $38.11

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 $72.8

$110 Ft 35.7K

-34.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 $75.5

$119 Ft 38.4K

-36.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$830 Ft 268.3K

58.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$622 Ft 200.9K

110.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

1.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 $1,866

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

59.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 $1,705

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-70.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,671 $1,671

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-57.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,090 $3,090

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

87.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.45

1.86%

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

Last update for Augusta, GA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Augusta, GA

$1.3K 53.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 52.6% $689

Groceries & Markets

Augusta, GA

$328 13.4%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 21.4% $70

Eating Out

Augusta, GA

$307 12.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 27.3% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Augusta, GA

$290 11.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 24.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Augusta, GA

$106 4.3%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 57.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Augusta, GA

$58 2.4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 48.3% $28

Getting Around

Augusta, GA

$54 2.2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 17.6% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,316 in Augusta, GA and $830 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Augusta, GA pays 87% 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: $89.0 in Augusta, GA vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $258 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Augusta, GA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

19:33 7:33 PM

6 h ahead of Augusta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

194,343

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Augusta, GA Budapest 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Augusta, 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

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

Budapest is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Augusta, GA, 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: $1,316 in Augusta, GA versus $830 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Augusta, GA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Budapest – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $89.0 in Augusta, GA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,454 in Augusta, GA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Augusta, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Budapest is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Augusta, GA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Augusta, GA 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 52% less than in Augusta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.