Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and High Point, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,198 in High Point, NC, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in High Point, NC
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High Point, NC Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

High Point, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in High Point, NC

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 High Point, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $2,198 in High Point, NC, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
High Point, NC $2,198

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $3,170 in High Point, NC, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
High Point, NC $3,170

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $4,141 in High Point, NC, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
High Point, NC $4,141

Budapest is about 26% cheaper than High Point, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and High Point, NC sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, High Point, NC by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$17.79 $17.79

-21.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$80.0 $80.0

-23.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$9.86 $9.86

3.35%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$5.36 $5.36

-39.18%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.64 $2.64

-18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.98 $1.98

-10.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$4.87 $4.87

-23.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$5.97 $5.97

-36.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.02 $1.02

12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$3.97 $3.97

-54.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$3.20 $3.20

-22.19%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$4.29 $4.29

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$16.55 $16.55

-32.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$13.93 $13.93

-52.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$17.84 $17.84

-17.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$5.30 $5.30

-65.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.44 $1.44

42.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$4.74 $4.74

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$4.51 $4.51

-13.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$3.79 $3.79

-73.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$3.27 $3.27

-69.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$2.06 $2.06

-23.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$2.37 $2.37

-71.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$8.19 $8.19

-2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$15.26 $15.26

-59.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.68 $1.68

-24.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$3.76 $3.76

-46.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$2.56 $2.56

-40.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$79.1 $79.1

-64.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.02 $3.02

9.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.81 $1.81

-24.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$15.08 $15.08

31.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.03 $1.03

76.70%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$36.1K $36.1K

-17.41%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.3K $25.3K

33.81%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$176 $176

-2.60%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$51.3 $51.3

-54.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$73.6 $73.6

-68.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$11.92 $11.92

-21.98%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$1,309 $1,309

-59.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$9,982 $9,982

67.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$38.44 $38.44

159.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$34.39 $34.39

26.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$86.1 $86.1

28.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$110 $110

7.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$1,171 $1,171

-29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$930 $930

-33.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,451 $1,451

9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$1,283 $1,283

-8.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,960 $1,960

197.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,954 $1,954

99.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$4,420 $4,420

-62.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.48

-0.46%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for High Point, NC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

High Point, NC

$930 42.3% 49.5% $308

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

High Point, NC

$430 19.6% 66.8% $172

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

High Point, NC

$291 13.2% 30.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

High Point, NC

$301 13.7% 37.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

High Point, NC

$121 5.5% 27.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

High Point, NC

$24 * 1.1% 72.3% $62

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

High Point, NC

$101 4.6% 129% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $1,171 in High Point, NC. 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 168% higher in High Point, NC, 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 $80.0 in High Point, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $430 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 High Point, NC

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

08:01 8:01 AM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

104,371

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest High Point, NC 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
High Point, NC

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 High Point, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – High Point, NC is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $3,297 in High Point, NC. 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 182% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $1,309 in High Point, NC. 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 $1,619, than in High Point, NC at $2,198. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in High Point, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – 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 Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, High Point, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.