Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, 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
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
Learn more

Iowa City, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Iowa City, IA $2,368

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $3,367 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Iowa City, IA $3,367

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $4,366 in Iowa City, IA, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Iowa City, IA $4,366

Budapest is about 32% cheaper than Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Iowa City, IA sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Iowa City, IA by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$14.24 $14.24

-2.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$68.1 $68.1

-10.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$8.74 $8.74

16.59%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$5.78 $5.78

-43.60%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.76 $2.76

-22.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$2.17 $2.17

-17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$4.90 $4.90

-24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$6.80 $6.80

-44.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.83 $0.83

38.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$2.76 $2.76

-35.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.02 $2.02

23.27%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.60 $3.60

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$9.51 $9.51

16.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$10.32 $10.32

-35.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$20.56 $20.56

-28.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$3.32 $3.32

-44.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.23 $1.23

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.75 $2.75

-13.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$4.86 $4.86

-19.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.03 $2.03

-51.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$2.37 $2.37

-57.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.70 $1.70

-7.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$2.43 $2.43

-72.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$8.79 $8.79

-9.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$13.27 $13.27

-53.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.77 $1.77

-28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$4.32 $4.32

-53.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$15.96 $15.96

75.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.97 $3.97

-16.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.99 $1.99

-31.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$43.23 $43.23

-54.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.00 $1.00

82.00%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$36.0K $36.0K

-17.33%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.2K $25.2K

33.96%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$266 $266

-35.56%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$53.3 $53.3

-55.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$81.9 $81.9

-71.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$48.68 $48.68

38.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$19.82 $19.82

-4.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$13.74 $13.74

-32.31%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$1,285 $1,285

-58.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$23.7K $23.7K

-29.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$64.3 $64.3

54.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$50.1 $50.1

-13.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$101 $101

9.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$113 $113

5.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$1,179 $1,179

-29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$1,096 $1,096

-43.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$2,297 $2,297

-30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$1,671 $1,671

-29.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$3,825 $3,825

52.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,963 $1,963

98.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$3,701 $3,701

-55.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3% 76.2% $474

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8% 35.8% $92

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3% 19.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9% 83.9% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2% 12% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2% 11.6% $10

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3% 32.5% $14

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 $1,179 in Iowa City, IA. 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 124% higher in Iowa City, IA, 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 $68.0 in Iowa City, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $350 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

7 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

74,828

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Iowa City, IA 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Iowa City, IA is pricier by about 46%, 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 $3,552 in Iowa City, IA. 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 76% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $1,285 in Iowa City, IA. 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 Iowa City, IA at $2,368. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iowa City, IA 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, Iowa City, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.