Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnstable, MA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,367 in Barnstable, MA, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,367

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barnstable, MA versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Barnstable, MA $2,367
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,555 in Barnstable, MA versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Barnstable, MA $3,555
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,743 in Barnstable, MA versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Barnstable, MA $4,743
Budapest $3,489

Living in Barnstable, MA is roughly 46% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barnstable, MA 77% above, Budapest 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$13.99 Ft 4,551

29.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 $74.4

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

23.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$3.92 $3.92

$3.38 Ft 1,100

15.98%

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

$2.18 $2.18

$2.13 Ft 692

2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.87 Ft 608

-6.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.75 Ft 1,221

37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.57 Ft 1,162

85.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.13 Ft 368

-7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.84 Ft 599

59.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.39 Ft 777

75.73%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.83 Ft 1,245

9.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-43.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$6.74 Ft 2,192

34.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-41.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.84 Ft 597

132.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.01 Ft 653

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.36 Ft 767

84.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-9.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.96 Ft 313

121.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.03 Ft 334

115.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.56 Ft 509

28.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$0.66 Ft 216

284.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.28 $12.28

$7.96 Ft 2,591

54.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 $13.09

$6.01 Ft 1,954

117.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.30 Ft 421

65.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.08 Ft 676

87.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.50 Ft 489

31.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.39 $34.39

$27.61 Ft 8,982

24.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.30 Ft 1,074

8.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.30 Ft 424

189.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.84 $25.84

$19.78 Ft 6,436

30.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.81 Ft 591

-40.33%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

27.05%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-30.02%

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

$101 $101

$170 Ft 55.3K

-40.43%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$23.98 Ft 7,802

146.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$23.42 Ft 7,621

173.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.72 $41.72

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-37.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.22 $24.22

$19.18 Ft 6,239

26.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 $14.05

$9.52 Ft 3,098

47.58%

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

$1,829 $1,829

$537 Ft 174.6K

240.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K $30.5K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

83.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 $57.2

$101 Ft 33.0K

-43.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 $38.12

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-11.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$113 Ft 36.7K

-29.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$119 Ft 38.6K

-14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$805 Ft 262.0K

98.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 $1,294

$629 Ft 204.7K

105.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 $2,151

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

84.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,770 $2,770

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-50.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-39.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,660 $4,660

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

186.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.43

3.27%

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

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.4%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 51.4% $665

Groceries & Markets

Barnstable, MA

$324 13.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 20.5% $66

Eating Out

Barnstable, MA

$276 11.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 18.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barnstable, MA

$224 9.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 3.2% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Barnstable, MA

$124 5.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 36.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Barnstable, MA

$70 2.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 22.1% $15

Getting Around

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 32.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Barnstable, MA and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnstable, MA pays 187% 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: $74.0 in Barnstable, MA vs $60.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $258 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

10:21 10:21 AM

6 h ahead of Barnstable, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,000

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

Barnstable, MA Budapest 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Barnstable, MA
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

Barnstable, MA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnstable, MA and Budapest differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,621 including rent). Budapest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 187% higher in Barnstable, MA, 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: $1,599 in Barnstable, MA versus $805 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budapest runs roughly 25% less than in Barnstable, MA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,829 in Barnstable, MA versus $537 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,621 in Budapest versus $2,367 in Barnstable, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Barnstable, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barnstable, MA 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 46% less than in Barnstable, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.