Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Barnstable, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,367 in Barnstable, MA, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,621 in Budapest versus $2,367 in Barnstable, MA.

Budapest $1,621
Barnstable, MA $2,367

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,555 in Budapest versus $3,555 in Barnstable, MA.

Budapest $2,555
Barnstable, MA $3,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Budapest versus $4,743 in Barnstable, MA.

Budapest $3,489
Barnstable, MA $4,743

Living in Budapest costs roughly 31% less than in Barnstable, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Budapest 21% above, Barnstable, MA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$18.12 $18.12

-22.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$74.4 $74.4

-18.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$9.84 $9.84

1.22%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.92 $3.92

-13.78%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$2.18 $2.18

-2.29%

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

$5.15 $5.15

-27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$6.63 $6.63

-46.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.05 $1.05

7.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.94 $2.94

-37.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$4.20 $4.20

-43.10%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$4.18 $4.18

-8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$6.44 $6.44

75.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$9.05 $9.05

-25.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$8.57 $8.57

71.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$4.28 $4.28

-57.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.71 $1.71

17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$4.36 $4.36

-45.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$3.43 $3.43

9.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$2.13 $2.13

-54.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.22 $2.22

-53.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$2.01 $2.01

-22.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$2.54 $2.54

-74.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$12.28 $12.28

-35.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$13.09 $13.09

-54.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$2.15 $2.15

-39.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$3.90 $3.90

-46.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$1.97 $1.97

-23.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$34.39 $34.39

-19.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$3.59 $3.59

-8.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$3.76 $3.76

-65.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$25.84 $25.84

-23.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.08 $1.08

67.59%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$37.3K $37.3K

-21.29%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$23.9K $23.9K

42.90%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$101 $101

67.86%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$59.1 $59.1

-59.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$64.1 $64.1

-63.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$41.72 $41.72

58.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$24.22 $24.22

-20.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$14.05 $14.05

-32.24%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$1,829 $1,829

-70.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$30.5K $30.5K

-45.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$57.2 $57.2

77.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$38.12 $38.12

12.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$79.2 $79.2

42.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$102 $102

16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$1,599 $1,599

-49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$1,294 $1,294

-51.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$2,461 $2,461

-37.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$2,151 $2,151

-45.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,770 $2,770

102.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,390 $2,390

66.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$4,660 $4,660

-65.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.64

-3.16%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.4% 106% $665

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Barnstable, MA

$324 13.6% 25.8% $66

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Barnstable, MA

$276 11.6% 23.1% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Barnstable, MA

$224 9.4% 3.3% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Barnstable, MA

$124 5.2% 26.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Barnstable, MA

$70 2.9% 18.1% $15

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7% 48.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Budapest and $1,599 in Barnstable, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnstable, MA pays 187% 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 $74.0 in Barnstable, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $324 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

44,000

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Barnstable, MA 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Barnstable, 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 Barnstable, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest and Barnstable, MA differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,621 vs $2,367 including rent). Budapest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 187% lower in Barnstable, 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: $805 in Budapest versus $1,599 in Barnstable, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budapest runs roughly 25% less than in Barnstable, MA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $537 in Budapest versus $1,829 in Barnstable, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,621 in Budapest versus $2,367 in Barnstable, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Barnstable, MA. 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 Barnstable, 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 46% less than in Barnstable, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.