Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,555 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
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Boise, ID Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,555

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Boise, ID vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Boise, ID $2,555
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,640 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Boise, ID $3,640
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,725 per month in Boise, ID vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Boise, ID $4,725
Budapest $3,489

Boise, ID costs about 58% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Boise, ID and Budapest sit above the global median – Boise, ID by 91%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$13.99 Ft 4,551

42.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 $71.3

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

18.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$9.96 Ft 3,241

29.02%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$3.38 Ft 1,100

77.51%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.13 Ft 692

27.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.87 Ft 608

5.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 $6.62

$3.75 Ft 1,221

76.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 $6.62

$3.57 Ft 1,162

85.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.13 Ft 368

-18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.84 Ft 599

101.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.39 Ft 777

159.83%

Eggs

$4.40 $4.40

$3.83 Ft 1,245

14.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$11.33 Ft 3,686

41.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$6.74 Ft 2,192

65.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 $17.52

$14.69 Ft 4,780

19.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$1.84 Ft 597

158.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.01 Ft 653

-13.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.36 Ft 767

65.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.77 Ft 1,226

34.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$0.96 Ft 313

202.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.03 Ft 334

154.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.56 Ft 509

53.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.66 Ft 216

281.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.07 $9.07

$7.96 Ft 2,591

13.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 $15.45

$6.01 Ft 1,954

157.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.30 Ft 421

56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.08 Ft 676

54.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.50 Ft 489

1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.11 $42.11

$27.61 Ft 8,982

52.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-20.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.30 Ft 424

14.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.80 $23.80

$19.78 Ft 6,436

20.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.81 Ft 591

-33.70%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

21.72%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-25.71%

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

$173 $173

$170 Ft 55.3K

1.74%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$23.98 Ft 7,802

140.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 $76.9

$23.42 Ft 7,621

228.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 $40.56

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-38.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.63 $37.63

$19.18 Ft 6,239

96.19%

Cinema Ticket

$12.34 $12.34

$9.52 Ft 3,098

29.62%

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

$979 $979

$537 Ft 174.6K

82.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

45.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$101 Ft 33.0K

-45.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 $40.53

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$113 Ft 36.7K

-22.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$119 Ft 38.6K

-7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$805 Ft 262.0K

99.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$629 Ft 204.7K

106.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 $2,398

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

54.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 $1,795

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

53.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,339 $7,339

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

30.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 $3,076

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-22.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,367 $4,367

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

168.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.43

3.89%

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

Last update for Boise, ID: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 51.5% $667

Groceries & Markets

Boise, ID

$421 16.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 38.8% $164

Eating Out

Boise, ID

$335 12.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 33% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boise, ID

$308 11.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 29.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Boise, ID

$132 5.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 28% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Boise, ID

$65 2.5%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 30.7% $20

Getting Around

Boise, ID

$58 2.2%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 25.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Boise, ID versus $805 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 169% higher in Boise, ID, 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 $71.0 in Boise, ID versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

07:28 7:28 AM

8 h ahead of Boise, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

235,684

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Boise, ID Budapest 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Boise, ID
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

Boise, ID vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boise, ID costs about 58% 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 $3,833 per month in Boise, ID and $2,432 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 $979 per month in Boise, ID and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Boise, ID, 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 $1,621, than in Boise, ID at $2,555. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boise, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Budapest costs $1,621 versus $2,555 in Boise, ID. 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, Boise, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.