Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aurora, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,697 in Aurora, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, IL
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Aurora, IL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Aurora, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,697

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,697 per month in Aurora, IL vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Aurora, IL $2,697
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,815 per month in Aurora, IL vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Aurora, IL $3,815
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,932 per month in Aurora, IL vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Aurora, IL $4,932
Budapest $3,489

Aurora, IL costs about 66% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Aurora, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Aurora, IL by 101%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.27 $14.27

$13.99 Ft 4,551

2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 $59.4

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$9.96 Ft 3,241

18.47%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$3.38 Ft 1,100

55.33%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$2.13 Ft 692

39.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.87 Ft 608

25.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.75 Ft 1,221

36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.57 Ft 1,162

126.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.13 Ft 368

-21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.84 Ft 599

88.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.39 Ft 777

79.08%

Eggs

$3.53 $3.53

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-7.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-20.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$6.74 Ft 2,192

69.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 $16.00

$14.69 Ft 4,780

8.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.84 Ft 597

149.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.01 Ft 653

-17.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.36 Ft 767

59.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-13.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.96 Ft 313

98.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.03 Ft 334

159.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.56 Ft 509

14.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$0.66 Ft 216

143.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.64 $10.64

$7.96 Ft 2,591

33.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 $13.52

$6.01 Ft 1,954

124.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.30 Ft 421

74.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.08 Ft 676

39.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 $133

$27.61 Ft 8,982

382.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.30 Ft 1,074

19.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.30 Ft 424

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.88 $42.88

$19.78 Ft 6,436

116.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.81 Ft 591

-42.54%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-15.28%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-27.30%

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

$177 $177

$170 Ft 55.3K

3.96%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$23.98 Ft 7,802

113.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 $54.0

$23.42 Ft 7,621

130.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.64 $29.64

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-55.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 $11.87

$9.52 Ft 3,098

24.68%

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

$1,488 $1,488

$537 Ft 174.6K

177.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

43.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$101 Ft 33.0K

-43.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

17.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$113 Ft 36.7K

-22.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 $81.3

$119 Ft 38.6K

-31.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$805 Ft 262.0K

106.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$629 Ft 204.7K

126.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

42.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 $2,218

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

90.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,824 $9,824

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

74.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,179 $3,179

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-19.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,784 $3,784

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

132.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.43

0.31%

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

Last update for Aurora, IL: 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

Aurora, IL

$1.4K 53.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 55.8% $796

Groceries & Markets

Aurora, IL

$353 13.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 27.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aurora, IL

$282 10.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 22.9% $64

Eating Out

Aurora, IL

$276 10.4%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 18.6% $51

Getting Around

Aurora, IL

$147 * 5.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 70.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Aurora, IL

$124 4.7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 35.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Aurora, IL

$53 2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 59.8% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Aurora, IL 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 133% higher in Aurora, IL, 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 $59.0 in Aurora, IL versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Aurora, IL vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aurora, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

7 h ahead of Aurora, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,542

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Aurora, IL Budapest 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Aurora, IL
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

Aurora, IL vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aurora, IL costs about 66% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,045 per month in Aurora, IL 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 $59.0 in Aurora, IL and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,697 in Aurora, IL and $1,621 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 66%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Aurora, IL at $2,697. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aurora, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Budapest costs $1,621 versus $2,697 in Aurora, IL. 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, Aurora, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.