Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brunswick, ME and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,646 in Brunswick, ME, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Brunswick, ME
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Brunswick, ME Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Brunswick, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,646

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,646 in Brunswick, ME versus $1,619 in Budapest.

Brunswick, ME $2,646
Budapest $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,011 in Brunswick, ME versus $2,524 in Budapest.

Brunswick, ME $4,011
Budapest $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,375 in Brunswick, ME versus $3,429 in Budapest.

Brunswick, ME $5,375
Budapest $3,429

Living in Brunswick, ME is roughly 63% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brunswick, ME 96% above, Budapest 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.69 $24.69

$13.94 Ft 4,503

77.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

94.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$10.19 Ft 3,291

46.91%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$3.26 Ft 1,055

87.12%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.14 Ft 690

42.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.78 Ft 577

37.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.71 Ft 1,198

114.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.77 Ft 1,217

108.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.15 Ft 371

-20.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.79 Ft 578

81.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.49 Ft 804

39.36%

Eggs

$2.55 $2.55

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-34.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$11.10 Ft 3,587

17.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 $10.39

$6.62 Ft 2,139

56.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.21 $16.21

$14.69 Ft 4,745

10.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.83 Ft 591

167.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.05 Ft 661

-28.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.37 Ft 765

85.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$3.90 Ft 1,260

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.99 Ft 320

240.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.00 Ft 322

265.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.58 Ft 511

59.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.67 Ft 216

180.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$7.96 Ft 2,572

11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.07 $13.07

$6.22 Ft 2,009

110.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.27 Ft 411

4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.03 Ft 654

-7.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.52 Ft 490

18.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-40.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.37 Ft 442

10.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.87 $10.87

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-45.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.82 Ft 589

-42.31%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

19.72%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-22.86%

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

$162 $162

$171 Ft 55.3K

-5.27%

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

$70.3 $70.3

$23.51 Ft 7,596

198.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.4 $76.4

$23.29 Ft 7,526

228.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.77 $44.77

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-33.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 $14.18

$9.30 Ft 3,004

52.47%

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

$1,227 $1,227

$533 Ft 172.3K

130.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

40.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-47.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.5 $81.5

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

87.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$110 Ft 35.7K

-8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$119 Ft 38.4K

13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$830 Ft 268.3K

91.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$622 Ft 200.9K

111.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 $2,518

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

58.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 $2,189

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

87.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,920 $2,920

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-49.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,155 $2,155

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-44.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,638 $4,638

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

180.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.45

0.78%

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

Last update for Brunswick, ME: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brunswick, ME

$1.3K 49.6%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 52.6% $691

Eating Out

Brunswick, ME

$393 14.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 43.3% $170

Groceries & Markets

Brunswick, ME

$375 14.2%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 31.2% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brunswick, ME

$309 11.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 29.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Brunswick, ME

$166 6.3%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 0.9% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brunswick, ME

$73 2.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 17.7% $13

Getting Around

Brunswick, ME

$17 * 0.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 164% $28

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 $1,594 in Brunswick, ME and $830 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brunswick, ME pays 181% 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: $119 in Brunswick, ME vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $258 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brunswick, ME

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

08:46 8:46 AM

6 h ahead of Brunswick, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,287

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

Brunswick, ME Budapest 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brunswick, ME
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

Brunswick, ME vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 181% higher in Brunswick, ME, 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: $1,594 in Brunswick, ME versus $830 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,227 in Brunswick, ME versus $533 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 $119 in Brunswick, ME. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,646 in Brunswick, ME, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Brunswick, ME. 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 Brunswick, ME, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Brunswick, ME 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 63% less than in Brunswick, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.