Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Barrington, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,677 in Barrington, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Barrington, IL
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Barrington, IL Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Barrington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Barrington, IL

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 Barrington, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $2,677 in Barrington, IL, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Barrington, IL $2,677

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $4,008 in Barrington, IL, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Barrington, IL $4,008

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $5,339 in Barrington, IL, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Barrington, IL $5,339

Budapest is about 39% cheaper than Barrington, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Barrington, IL sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Barrington, IL by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$20.21 $20.21

-30.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$74.5 $74.5

-18.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$11.36 $11.36

-8.71%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$5.24 $5.24

-33.97%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.60 $2.60

-20.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$2.05 $2.05

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$5.99 $5.99

-38.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$7.14 $7.14

-46.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.16 $1.16

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$3.79 $3.79

-51.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$4.33 $4.33

-44.57%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$4.27 $4.27

-6.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$15.24 $15.24

-25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$11.09 $11.09

-38.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$17.23 $17.23

-15.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$5.76 $5.76

-67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.98 $1.98

8.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$4.59 $4.59

-49.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$6.74 $6.74

-40.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$2.75 $2.75

-62.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.17 $2.17

-54.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$2.43 $2.43

-34.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$2.28 $2.28

-69.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$10.15 $10.15

-20.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$17.22 $17.22

-64.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.87 $1.87

-33.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$3.42 $3.42

-39.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.97 $1.97

-19.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$117 $117

-76.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$3.43 $3.43

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.57 $1.57

-15.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$33.06 $33.06

-38.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.17 $1.17

64.96%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$27.8K $27.8K

4.93%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$26.5K $26.5K

30.85%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$230 $230

-24.18%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$48.44 $48.44

-51.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$59.0 $59.0

-60.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$67.2 $67.2

2.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$15.27 $15.27

26.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$14.61 $14.61

-29.43%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$1,481 $1,481

-63.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$27.6K $27.6K

-38.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$52.5 $52.5

90.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$41.21 $41.21

5.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$89.8 $89.8

24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$112 $112

5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$1,604 $1,604

-48.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$1,222 $1,222

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$2,526 $2,526

-37.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$2,167 $2,167

-44.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,376 $2,376

140.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$2,187 $2,187

80.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$5,760 $5,760

-70.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.57

-1.83%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barrington, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Barrington, IL

$1.2K 45.7% 94.3% $593

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Barrington, IL

$430 16.1% 64.2% $168

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Barrington, IL

$322 12% 42.1% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Barrington, IL

$338 12.6% 52.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Barrington, IL

$133 5% 20.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Barrington, IL

$96 3.6% 7.7% $6.9

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Barrington, IL

$136 5.1% 209% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $1,604 in Barrington, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 236% higher in Barrington, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $75.0 in Barrington, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $430 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Barrington, IL

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

00:13 12:13 AM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

10,772

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Barrington, IL 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Barrington, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barrington, IL costs about 63% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $4,015 in Barrington, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 324% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $1,481 in Barrington, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Barrington, IL at $2,677. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barrington, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Budapest costs $1,641 versus $2,677 in Barrington, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barrington, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.