Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ames, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,142 in Ames, IA.

Budapest $1,619
Ames, IA $2,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,524 in Budapest versus $3,242 in Ames, IA.

Budapest $2,524
Ames, IA $3,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Budapest versus $4,342 in Ames, IA.

Budapest $3,429
Ames, IA $4,342

Living in Budapest costs roughly 24% less than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Budapest 20% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$18.13 $18.13

-23.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$52.0 $52.0

17.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$12.18 $12.18

-16.34%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$4.87 $4.87

-33.06%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.60 $2.60

-17.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$2.25 $2.25

-20.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$4.05 $4.05

-8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$6.81 $6.81

-44.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.89 $0.89

29.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$3.55 $3.55

-49.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$3.26 $3.26

-23.62%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.34 $3.34

16.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$10.08 $10.08

10.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$13.62 $13.62

-51.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$19.05 $19.05

-22.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$5.88 $5.88

-68.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.82 $1.82

12.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$6.69 $6.69

-64.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$5.22 $5.22

-25.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$4.54 $4.54

-78.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$4.07 $4.07

-75.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$2.32 $2.32

-31.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$2.44 $2.44

-72.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$13.03 $13.03

-38.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$16.11 $16.11

-61.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.87 $2.87

-55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$4.98 $4.98

-59.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.99 $0.99

53.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$35.57 $35.57

-21.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$5.09 $5.09

-34.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.69 $1.69

-18.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$24.13 $24.13

-17.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.96 $0.96

89.58%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$24.7K $24.7K

20.47%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.1K $25.1K

34.85%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$176 $176

-2.94%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$54.3 $54.3

-56.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$71.2 $71.2

-67.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$69.0 $69.0

-2.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$19.74 $19.74

-4.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$15.97 $15.97

-41.77%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$1,370 $1,370

-61.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$36.1K $36.1K

-53.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$58.4 $58.4

70.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$44.68 $44.68

-2.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$90.1 $90.1

22.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$105 $105

13.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$1,005 $1,005

-17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$822 $822

-24.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,860 $1,860

-14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$1,505 $1,505

-22.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,432 $2,432

139.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,185 $2,185

77.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$3,597 $3,597

-54.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.41

0.62%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Ames, IA

$822 38.4% 32.2% $200

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Ames, IA

$436 20.4% 69.2% $178

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Ames, IA

$293 13.7% 31.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Ames, IA

$302 14.1% 38.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Ames, IA

$134 6.3% 20% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Ames, IA

$101 4.7% 17.2% $15

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Ames, IA

$53 2.5% 20% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $830 in Budapest and $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 118% 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: $61.0 in Budapest vs $52.0 in Ames, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $436, with Budapest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

20:28 8:28 PM

13:28 1:28 PM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

66,427

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Ames, IA 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Ames, IA

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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

Budapest vs Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Budapest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 118% lower in Ames, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $830 in Budapest versus $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budapest runs roughly 27% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $533 in Budapest versus $1,370 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Budapest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Budapest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Budapest and Ames, IA 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 32% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.