Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Amherst, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,759 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Amherst, MA

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 Amherst, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,759 in Amherst, MA.

Budapest $1,619
Amherst, MA $2,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,524 in Budapest versus $4,250 in Amherst, MA.

Budapest $2,524
Amherst, MA $4,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Budapest versus $5,742 in Amherst, MA.

Budapest $3,429
Amherst, MA $5,742

Living in Budapest costs roughly 41% less than in Amherst, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Budapest 20% above, Amherst, MA 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$20.37 $20.37

-31.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$69.3 $69.3

-11.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$9.18 $9.18

11.00%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$4.86 $4.86

-32.92%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.62 $2.62

-18.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.95 $1.95

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$5.92 $5.92

-37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$10.63 $10.63

-64.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.05 $1.05

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$3.17 $3.17

-43.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$7.12 $7.12

-65.03%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$4.68 $4.68

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$16.30 $16.30

-31.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$15.68 $15.68

-57.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$18.11 $18.11

-18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$4.83 $4.83

-62.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.37 $1.37

49.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$3.25 $3.25

-27.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$4.82 $4.82

-19.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$3.24 $3.24

-69.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$3.55 $3.55

-71.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$2.21 $2.21

-28.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$2.04 $2.04

-67.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$10.38 $10.38

-23.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$12.16 $12.16

-48.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.05 $2.05

-38.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.95 $3.95

-48.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.29 $1.29

17.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$27.49 $27.49

1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.46 $3.46

-4.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.37 $1.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$29.92 $29.92

-33.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.92 $0.92

97.83%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$36.5K $36.5K

-18.42%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.2K $25.2K

34.34%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$207 $207

-17.52%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$56.8 $56.8

-58.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$90.5 $90.5

-74.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$120 $120

-43.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$7.15 $7.15

164.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$10.64 $10.64

-12.59%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$1,513 $1,513

-64.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$16.8K $16.8K

-0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$44.36 $44.36

124.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$40.35 $40.35

7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$89.7 $89.7

23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$107 $107

11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$1,826 $1,826

-54.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$1,342 $1,342

-53.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$3,963 $3,963

-59.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$2,682 $2,682

-56.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$4,010 $4,010

45.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$4,000 $4,000

-2.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$4,769 $4,769

-65.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.1

5.74%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7% 116% $720

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Amherst, MA

$433 15.7% 67.9% $175

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Amherst, MA

$318 11.5% 42.6% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Amherst, MA

$355 12.9% 62.8% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Amherst, MA

$127 4.6% 24.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Amherst, MA

$141 5.1% 63.8% $55

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Amherst, MA

$43 1.6% 3% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $830 in Budapest and $1,826 in Amherst, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 189% 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 $69.0 in Amherst, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $433 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

08:15 8:15 AM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

37,819

💱 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 Amherst, MA 6,790 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Budapest
Amherst, MA

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

Budapest vs Amherst, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 189% lower in Amherst, MA. 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 $1,826 in Amherst, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $533 in Budapest versus $1,513 in Amherst, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,619 in Budapest versus $2,759 in Amherst, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Amherst, MA. 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 Amherst, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Budapest and Amherst, MA 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 70% less than in Amherst, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.