Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Billings, MT and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,260 in Billings, MT, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Billings, MT
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Billings, MT Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Billings, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,260

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,260 per month in Billings, MT vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Billings, MT $2,260
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,500 per month in Billings, MT vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Billings, MT $3,500
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,739 per month in Billings, MT vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Billings, MT $4,739
Budapest $3,429

Billings, MT costs about 40% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Billings, MT and Budapest sit above the global median – Billings, MT by 67%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.42 $26.42

$13.94 Ft 4,503

89.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 $13.32

$10.19 Ft 3,291

30.72%

Cappuccino

$6.18 $6.18

$3.26 Ft 1,055

89.57%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$2.14 Ft 690

14.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.78 Ft 577

-10.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.71 Ft 1,198

9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.77 Ft 1,217

29.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.15 Ft 371

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.79 Ft 578

97.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.49 Ft 804

24.50%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 $11.84

$11.10 Ft 3,587

6.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$6.62 Ft 2,139

75.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 $17.45

$14.69 Ft 4,745

18.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.83 Ft 591

95.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.05 Ft 661

-29.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.37 Ft 765

26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.90 Ft 1,260

15.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.99 Ft 320

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.00 Ft 322

102.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.58 Ft 511

45.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.67 Ft 216

111.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 $9.45

$7.96 Ft 2,572

18.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 $10.92

$6.22 Ft 2,009

75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.27 Ft 411

73.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.03 Ft 654

149.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.52 Ft 490

28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.77 $27.77

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-0.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-26.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.37 Ft 442

-1.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 $59.1

$19.83 Ft 6,406

198.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.82 Ft 589

-43.41%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

10.91%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-28.00%

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

$176 $176

$171 Ft 55.3K

2.72%

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

$49.08 $49.08

$23.51 Ft 7,596

108.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.9 $85.9

$23.29 Ft 7,526

268.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.69 $48.69

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-27.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 $15.19

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-19.59%

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 $13.57

$9.30 Ft 3,004

45.91%

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

$1,074 $1,074

$533 Ft 172.3K

101.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

13.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 $61.2

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-38.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 $67.0

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

53.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 $97.5

$110 Ft 35.7K

-11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$119 Ft 38.4K

1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$830 Ft 268.3K

51.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$622 Ft 200.9K

52.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 $2,110

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 $1,818

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

55.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,393 $2,393

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-58.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 $2,096

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-46.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 $3,936

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

138.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.45

-0.78%

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

Last update for Billings, MT: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Billings, MT

$947 41.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 34.3% $325

Eating Out

Billings, MT

$372 16.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 40% $149

Groceries & Markets

Billings, MT

$354 15.7%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 27.2% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Billings, MT

$311 13.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 29.9% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Billings, MT

$156 6.9%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 7.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Billings, MT

$76 3.4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 13.6% $10

Getting Around

Billings, MT

$45 2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 1.2% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,262 in Billings, MT 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 138% higher in Billings, MT, 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 $75.0 in Billings, MT versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Billings, MT

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

20:16 8:16 PM

8 h ahead of Billings, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,116

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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Between locations

Billings, MT Budapest 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Billings, MT
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

Billings, MT vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,390 per month in Billings, MT 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.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,074 per month in Billings, MT and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Billings, MT at $2,260. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Billings, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Budapest costs $1,619 versus $2,260 in Billings, MT. 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, Billings, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.