Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berwyn, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,449 in Berwyn, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berwyn, IL
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Berwyn, IL Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Berwyn, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,449 in Berwyn, IL versus $1,641 in Budapest.

Berwyn, IL $2,449
Budapest $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,655 in Berwyn, IL versus $2,562 in Budapest.

Berwyn, IL $3,655
Budapest $2,562

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,860 in Berwyn, IL versus $3,483 in Budapest.

Berwyn, IL $4,860
Budapest $3,483

Living in Berwyn, IL is roughly 49% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Berwyn, IL 81% above, Budapest 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$14.04 Ft 4,536

40.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

22.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-5.21%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.46 Ft 1,117

45.66%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$2.07 Ft 669

24.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.77 Ft 572

11.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.69 Ft 1,191

65.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.80 Ft 1,229

86.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.16 Ft 374

-28.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.85 Ft 598

94.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.40 Ft 776

120.83%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$3.99 Ft 1,289

17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 $10.01

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-12.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 $13.92

$6.87 Ft 2,221

102.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 $16.75

$14.49 Ft 4,682

15.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$1.88 Ft 607

168.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.14 Ft 693

-29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.30 Ft 744

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$4.04 Ft 1,304

23.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.02 Ft 329

153.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.99 Ft 320

160.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.58 Ft 510

35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.70 Ft 225

241.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 $10.95

$8.03 Ft 2,594

36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$6.18 Ft 1,997

145.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.24 Ft 401

58.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.06 Ft 666

69.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.59 Ft 513

10.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-16.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.33 Ft 431

3.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.24 $21.24

$20.45 Ft 6,607

3.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.93 Ft 624

-35.75%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

16.39%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-25.47%

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

$195 $195

$175 Ft 56.4K

11.72%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$23.62 Ft 7,631

190.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$23.60 Ft 7,625

159.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.38 $43.38

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-36.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 $13.97

$10.31 Ft 3,333

35.50%

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

$1,693 $1,693

$535 Ft 172.9K

216.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

44.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 $54.4

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-45.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.43 $40.43

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-6.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 $94.9

$112 Ft 36.1K

-15.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$119 Ft 38.4K

-3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 $1,401

$832 Ft 268.8K

68.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 $1,183

$629 Ft 203.3K

87.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 $2,623

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

65.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,052 $2,052

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

71.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,341 $2,341

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-59.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,156 $2,156

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-45.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.45

3.10%

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

Last update for Berwyn, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berwyn, IL

$1.2K 48.3%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 46.8% $553

Groceries & Markets

Berwyn, IL

$406 16.6%

Budapest

$262 16% 35.6% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berwyn, IL

$325 13.3%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 31.7% $103

Eating Out

Berwyn, IL

$310 12.7%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 27% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Berwyn, IL

$137 5.6%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 22.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Berwyn, IL

$71 2.9%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 25.4% $18

Getting Around

Berwyn, IL

$17 * 0.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 163% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,401 in Berwyn, IL and $832 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Berwyn, IL vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $262 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Berwyn, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

7 h ahead of Berwyn, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

57,250

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Berwyn, IL Budapest 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Berwyn, 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

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

Budapest is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,674 in Berwyn, IL and $2,461 in Budapest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,401 in Berwyn, IL versus $832 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,693 in Berwyn, IL versus $535 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Budapest – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $75.0 in Berwyn, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,641 in Budapest versus $2,449 in Berwyn, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Berwyn, IL. 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 Berwyn, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Berwyn, IL 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 49% less than in Berwyn, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.