Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookhaven, NY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Brookhaven, NY
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Brookhaven, NY Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Brookhaven, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,722

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,641 in Budapest.

Brookhaven, NY $2,722
Budapest $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,065 in Brookhaven, NY versus $2,562 in Budapest.

Brookhaven, NY $4,065
Budapest $2,562

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,408 in Brookhaven, NY versus $3,483 in Budapest.

Brookhaven, NY $5,408
Budapest $3,483

Living in Brookhaven, NY is roughly 66% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brookhaven, NY 101% above, Budapest 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$14.04 Ft 4,536

76.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

62.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$10.37 Ft 3,351

8.00%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.46 Ft 1,117

54.62%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$2.07 Ft 669

8.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.77 Ft 572

-12.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.01 $8.01

$3.69 Ft 1,191

117.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$3.80 Ft 1,229

115.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.16 Ft 374

8.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.85 Ft 598

132.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.76 $7.76

$2.40 Ft 776

223.33%

Eggs

$5.75 $5.75

$3.99 Ft 1,289

44.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$11.40 Ft 3,683

10.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$6.87 Ft 2,221

69.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 $17.07

$14.49 Ft 4,682

17.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$1.88 Ft 607

194.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.14 Ft 693

-19.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.30 Ft 744

167.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.04 Ft 1,304

51.98%

Potato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.02 Ft 329

436.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$0.99 Ft 320

280.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.58 Ft 510

76.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.70 Ft 225

320.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$8.03 Ft 2,594

43.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.08 $24.08

$6.18 Ft 1,997

289.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.24 Ft 401

37.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.06 Ft 666

166.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.59 Ft 513

16.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-14.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.33 Ft 431

52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.54 $23.54

$20.45 Ft 6,607

15.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.93 Ft 624

-43.01%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-5.35%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-23.09%

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

$211 $211

$175 Ft 56.4K

20.73%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$23.62 Ft 7,631

219.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 $64.3

$23.60 Ft 7,625

172.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.96 $40.96

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-40.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$10.31 Ft 3,333

43.16%

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

$2,237 $2,237

$535 Ft 172.9K

317.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

39.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.13 $41.13

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-58.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 $56.5

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

30.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 $76.1

$112 Ft 36.1K

-31.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$119 Ft 38.4K

32.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$832 Ft 268.8K

90.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$629 Ft 203.3K

102.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

59.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

77.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,099 $3,099

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-45.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 $2,127

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-46.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.45

4.65%

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

Last update for Brookhaven, NY: 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

Brookhaven, NY

$1.3K 46.9%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 50.7% $646

Groceries & Markets

Brookhaven, NY

$489 18%

Budapest

$262 16% 46.4% $227

Eating Out

Brookhaven, NY

$367 13.5%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 38.4% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brookhaven, NY

$351 12.9%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 36.8% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Brookhaven, NY

$149 5.5%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 12.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Brookhaven, NY

$70 2.6%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 26.9% $19

Getting Around

Brookhaven, NY

$21 * 0.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 115% $23

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 $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY and $832 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Brookhaven, NY vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $262 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brookhaven, NY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

21:55 9:55 PM

6 h ahead of Brookhaven, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,674

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Brookhaven, NY Budapest 6,930 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brookhaven, NY
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

Brookhaven, NY vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,083 in Brookhaven, NY 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: $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY versus $832 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Brookhaven, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,722 per month in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,641 in Budapest – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,641 in Budapest versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Brookhaven, NY. 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 Brookhaven, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Brookhaven, NY 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 66% less than in Brookhaven, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.