Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,403 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,641 in Budapest.

Bismarck, ND $2,403
Budapest $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,562 in Budapest.

Bismarck, ND $3,341
Budapest $2,562

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,278 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,483 in Budapest.

Bismarck, ND $4,278
Budapest $3,483

Living in Bismarck, ND is roughly 46% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 $30.19

$14.04 Ft 4,536

115.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 $69.8

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

14.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.41 $17.41

$10.37 Ft 3,351

67.89%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$3.46 Ft 1,117

79.77%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$2.07 Ft 669

20.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.77 Ft 572

6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.69 Ft 1,191

50.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.80 Ft 1,229

83.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.16 Ft 374

-11.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.85 Ft 598

45.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.40 Ft 776

-13.33%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-32.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$6.87 Ft 2,221

92.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$14.49 Ft 4,682

9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.88 Ft 607

84.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.14 Ft 693

-19.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.30 Ft 744

28.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.04 Ft 1,304

5.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.02 Ft 329

85.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.99 Ft 320

182.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.58 Ft 510

38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$0.70 Ft 225

284.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$8.03 Ft 2,594

8.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.97 $19.97

$6.18 Ft 1,997

223.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.24 Ft 401

54.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.06 Ft 666

96.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.93 Ft 624

-49.74%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-9.03%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-35.19%

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

$208 $208

$175 Ft 56.4K

19.26%

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

$71.8 $71.8

$23.62 Ft 7,631

203.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 $82.1

$23.60 Ft 7,625

247.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 $41.78

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-39.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 $10.89

$10.31 Ft 3,333

5.63%

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

$804 $804

$535 Ft 172.9K

50.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$112 Ft 36.1K

-14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 $81.2

$119 Ft 38.4K

-31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$832 Ft 268.8K

40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 $1,077

$629 Ft 203.3K

71.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

2.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

19.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 $2,226

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-61.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-47.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,393 $4,393

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

156.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.45

6.05%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: 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

Bismarck, ND

$1.1K 44.8%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 41.6% $448

Eating Out

Bismarck, ND

$428 17.8%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 47.1% $201

Groceries & Markets

Bismarck, ND

$364 15.2%

Budapest

$262 16% 28.1% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bismarck, ND

$362 15.1%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 38.7% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.5%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 54.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Bismarck, ND

$64 2.7%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 40.8% $26

Getting Around

Bismarck, ND

- * 0%

Budapest

$44 2.7%

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 $1,171 in Bismarck, ND and $832 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 157% 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: $70.0 in Bismarck, ND vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $262 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

08:48 8:48 AM

7 h ahead of Bismarck, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,333

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

Bismarck, ND Budapest 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bismarck, ND
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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

Bismarck, ND vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bismarck, ND and Budapest differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,403 vs $1,641 including rent). Budapest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 157% higher in Bismarck, ND, 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: $1,171 in Bismarck, ND versus $832 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $804 in Bismarck, ND 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 $70.0 in Bismarck, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,641 in Budapest versus $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Bismarck, ND. 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, Bismarck, ND 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 Bismarck, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.