Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,491 in Baltimore, MD, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,491

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,491 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Baltimore, MD $2,491
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,888 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Baltimore, MD $3,888
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,284 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Baltimore, MD $5,284
Budapest $3,489

Living in Baltimore, MD is roughly 54% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 86% above, Budapest 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.22 $18.22

$13.99 Ft 4,551

30.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 $94.7

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

56.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 $10.48

$9.96 Ft 3,241

5.22%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$3.38 Ft 1,100

58.58%

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

$3.46 $3.46

$2.13 Ft 692

62.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.87 Ft 608

39.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.75 Ft 1,221

83.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.57 Ft 1,162

119.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.13 Ft 368

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.84 Ft 599

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.39 Ft 777

70.71%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.83 Ft 1,245

26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$11.33 Ft 3,686

12.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$6.74 Ft 2,192

93.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$14.69 Ft 4,780

27.84%

Apples (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$1.84 Ft 597

233.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.01 Ft 653

-22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.36 Ft 767

134.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.77 Ft 1,226

32.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.96 Ft 313

189.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.03 Ft 334

181.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.56 Ft 509

51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.66 Ft 216

254.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 $14.05

$7.96 Ft 2,591

76.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 $15.43

$6.01 Ft 1,954

156.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.30 Ft 421

102.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.08 Ft 676

84.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.50 Ft 489

35.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.8 $76.8

$27.61 Ft 8,982

178.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-43.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.30 Ft 424

4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.59 $23.59

$19.78 Ft 6,436

19.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.81 Ft 591

-40.88%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

22.74%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-26.14%

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

$211 $211

$170 Ft 55.3K

24.37%

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

$67.1 $67.1

$23.98 Ft 7,802

179.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.2 $88.2

$23.42 Ft 7,621

276.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 $51.7

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-21.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.99 $47.99

$19.18 Ft 6,239

150.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$9.52 Ft 3,098

54.62%

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

$1,935 $1,935

$537 Ft 174.6K

260.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K $34.9K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

110.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$101 Ft 33.0K

-48.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 $63.1

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

46.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 $92.8

$113 Ft 36.7K

-17.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$119 Ft 38.6K

-7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$805 Ft 262.0K

119.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 $1,067

$629 Ft 204.7K

69.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,352 $2,352

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,124 $2,124

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

81.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,545 $2,545

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-54.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,352 $2,352

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-40.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,289 $4,289

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

163.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.43

4.51%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baltimore, MD

$1.1K 42.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 41% $438

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$439 17.5%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 41.3% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$367 14.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 40.7% $149

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$316 12.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 29% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$143 5.7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 18.2% $26

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 53.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$81 3.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 5.1% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,766 in Baltimore, MD and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays 164% 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: $95.0 in Baltimore, MD vs $60.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $258 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

6 h ahead of Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

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

Baltimore, MD Budapest 7,280 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Baltimore, MD
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

Baltimore, MD vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Baltimore, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Budapest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Baltimore, MD, 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: $1,766 in Baltimore, MD versus $805 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Baltimore, MD. 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 $60.0 versus $95.0 in Baltimore, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,621 in Budapest versus $2,491 in Baltimore, MD, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Baltimore, MD. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Budapest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,621 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Budapest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baltimore, MD 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 54% less than in Baltimore, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.