Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belleville, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,265 in Belleville, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

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

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Belleville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,265

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,265 per month in Belleville, IL vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Belleville, IL $2,265
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,396 per month in Belleville, IL vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Belleville, IL $3,396
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,526 per month in Belleville, IL vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Belleville, IL $4,526
Budapest $3,429

Belleville, IL costs about 40% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Belleville, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Belleville, IL by 68%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$13.94 Ft 4,503

28.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 $65.4

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

6.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 $9.26

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-9.13%

Cappuccino

$4.16 $4.16

$3.26 Ft 1,055

27.61%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.14 Ft 690

2.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.78 Ft 577

-5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.71 Ft 1,198

24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.77 Ft 1,217

33.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.15 Ft 371

-13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.79 Ft 578

29.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.49 Ft 804

41.77%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$3.90 Ft 1,261

0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$11.10 Ft 3,587

7.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$6.62 Ft 2,139

130.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-10.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$1.83 Ft 591

279.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.05 Ft 661

10.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.37 Ft 765

82.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$0.99 Ft 320

69.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.00 Ft 322

115.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.58 Ft 511

12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.67 Ft 216

243.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-1.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$6.22 Ft 2,009

138.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.27 Ft 411

68.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.03 Ft 654

45.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.52 Ft 490

-32.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 $77.2

$28.02 Ft 9,053

175.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.31 Ft 1,070

6.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.37 Ft 442

83.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.79 $17.79

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-10.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.82 Ft 589

-48.35%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

24.51%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-27.69%

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

$242 $242

$171 Ft 55.3K

41.35%

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

$68.9 $68.9

$23.51 Ft 7,596

193.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$23.29 Ft 7,526

184.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.69 $35.69

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-47.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.50 $30.50

$18.89 Ft 6,104

61.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$9.30 Ft 3,004

52.58%

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

$1,053 $1,053

$533 Ft 172.3K

97.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-25.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-41.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.73 $24.73

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-43.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 $88.5

$110 Ft 35.7K

-19.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$119 Ft 38.4K

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$830 Ft 268.3K

54.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 $944

$622 Ft 200.9K

51.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 $2,091

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 $1,681

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

43.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-58.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 $1,882

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-51.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,389 $6,389

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

286.94%

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 Belleville, IL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belleville, IL

$944 41.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 34.1% $322

Groceries & Markets

Belleville, IL

$389 17.2%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 33.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belleville, IL

$377 16.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 42.2% $159

Eating Out

Belleville, IL

$270 11.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 17.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Belleville, IL

$124 5.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 35% $43

Getting Around

Belleville, IL

$97 4.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 54.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Belleville, IL

$64 2.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 34.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,284 in Belleville, IL versus $830 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 287% higher in Belleville, 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 $65.0 in Belleville, IL versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Belleville, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

05:59 5:59 AM

7 h ahead of Belleville, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,404

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 →

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Belleville, IL Budapest 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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

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

Belleville, IL costs about 40% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,398 per month in Belleville, IL and $2,428 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,053 per month in Belleville, IL and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Belleville, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Belleville, IL at $2,265. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belleville, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Budapest costs $1,619 versus $2,265 in Belleville, 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, Belleville, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.