Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ankeny, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,326 in Ankeny, IA, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Ankeny, IA
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Ankeny, IA Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,621 in Budapest versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA.

Budapest $1,621
Ankeny, IA $2,326

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,555 in Budapest versus $3,298 in Ankeny, IA.

Budapest $2,555
Ankeny, IA $3,298

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Budapest versus $4,270 in Ankeny, IA.

Budapest $3,489
Ankeny, IA $4,270

Living in Budapest costs roughly 30% less than in Ankeny, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Budapest 21% above, Ankeny, IA 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$19.62 $19.62

-28.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$79.1 $79.1

-23.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$11.80 $11.80

-15.59%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$5.46 $5.46

-38.10%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$2.97 $2.97

-28.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.74 $1.74

7.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$5.06 $5.06

-25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$5.79 $5.79

-38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$0.91 $0.91

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.91 $2.91

-36.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$3.27 $3.27

-26.91%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.96 $3.96

-3.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$9.65 $9.65

17.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$8.65 $8.65

-22.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$14.96 $14.96

-1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$5.24 $5.24

-64.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.52 $1.52

32.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$4.89 $4.89

-51.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$3.67 $3.67

2.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$2.22 $2.22

-56.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$3.33 $3.33

-69.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.88 $1.88

-17.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$2.65 $2.65

-75.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$8.80 $8.80

-9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$14.79 $14.79

-59.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.69 $1.69

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.47 $2.47

-15.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$2.05 $2.05

60.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$1.27 $1.27

2.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$19.71 $19.71

0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.99 $0.99

82.83%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$35.7K $35.7K

-17.79%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$25.4K $25.4K

34.36%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$159 $159

6.63%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$53.2 $53.2

-54.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$64.2 $64.2

-63.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$74.0 $74.0

-10.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$14.95 $14.95

-36.32%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$1,101 $1,101

-51.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$11.9K $11.9K

39.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$48.27 $48.27

109.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$34.89 $34.89

23.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$90.1 $90.1

25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$117 $117

1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,109 $1,109

-27.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$1,141 $1,141

-44.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,971 $1,971

-21.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,599 $1,599

-27.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$5,289 $5,289

-69.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.37

0.94%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Ankeny, IA

$1.1K 49% 81.3% $512

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Ankeny, IA

$353 15.2% 37% $95

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Ankeny, IA

$314 13.5% 39.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Ankeny, IA

$277 11.9% 27.3% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.6% 22.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Ankeny, IA

$104 4.5% 21.9% $19

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Ankeny, IA

$8.4 * 0.4% 80.6% $35

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 $805 in Budapest and $1,109 in Ankeny, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 225% 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: $60.0 in Budapest vs $79.0 in Ankeny, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $353 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

67,887

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Ankeny, IA 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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 Ankeny, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest and Ankeny, IA differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,621 vs $2,326 including rent). Budapest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 225% lower in Ankeny, 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: $805 in Budapest versus $1,109 in Ankeny, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Ankeny, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,621 per month in Budapest versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,621 in Budapest versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Ankeny, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Budapest and Ankeny, 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 43% less than in Ankeny, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.