Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Elgin, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,035 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
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Elgin, IL Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,035 in Elgin, IL, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Elgin, IL $1,035

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,614 in Elgin, IL, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Elgin, IL $2,614

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $4,192 in Elgin, IL, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Elgin, IL $4,192

Budapest costs about 57% more than Elgin, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Elgin, IL is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$19.93 $19.93

-29.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$59.5 $59.5

1.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$10.07 $10.07

-1.09%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.90 $3.90

-13.33%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$3.03 $3.03

-29.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$2.05 $2.05

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$5.96 $5.96

-37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$4.92 $4.92

-27.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$0.89 $0.89

26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$3.54 $3.54

-48.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$4.34 $4.34

-44.93%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.73 $3.73

2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$11.35 $11.35

-0.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$13.45 $13.45

-49.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$11.71 $11.71

25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$4.49 $4.49

-59.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.27 $1.27

58.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.57 $2.57

-8.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$4.22 $4.22

-10.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.99 $1.99

-51.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$2.08 $2.08

-50.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.84 $1.84

-15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$2.37 $2.37

-72.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$10.79 $10.79

-26.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$15.56 $15.56

-61.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$2.62 $2.62

-50.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$3.49 $3.49

-40.40%

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

$4.06 $4.06

-18.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$2.02 $2.02

-35.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$28.28 $28.28

-30.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.04 $1.04

74.04%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$36.5K $36.5K

-19.71%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$24.9K $24.9K

36.80%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$99.4 $99.4

71.03%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$52.2 $52.2

-54.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$49.61 $49.61

-52.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$14.76 $14.76

-35.50%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$1,690 $1,690

-68.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$23.2K $23.2K

-28.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$39.27 $39.27

158.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$50.2 $50.2

-14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$100 $100

12.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$122 $122

-2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$2,175 $2,175

-28.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,811 $1,811

-35.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,192 $2,192

156.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,211 $2,211

79.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$3,971 $3,971

-59.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.69

-3.89%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Elgin, IL

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Elgin, IL

$371 35.3% 44.2% $114

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Elgin, IL

$296 28.1% 32.2% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Elgin, IL

$201 19.1% 7.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Elgin, IL

$141 13.3% 16.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.8% 65.4% $56

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4% 67.4% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 144% higher in Elgin, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $59.0 in Elgin, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $371 in Elgin, IL – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

19:49 7:49 PM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

112,603

💱 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 11, 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 11, 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 Elgin, IL 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Elgin, IL

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 Elgin, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,553 in Elgin, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $59.0 in Elgin, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 44% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elgin, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,035, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Elgin, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elgin, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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