Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Las Cruces, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
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Las Cruces, NM Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Las Cruces, NM

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 Las Cruces, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Las Cruces, NM $2,067

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $3,132 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Las Cruces, NM $3,132

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $4,196 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Las Cruces, NM $4,196

Budapest is about 21% cheaper than Las Cruces, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Las Cruces, NM sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Las Cruces, NM by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$17.34 $17.34

-19.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$45.20 $45.20

34.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$12.15 $12.15

-14.65%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$5.78 $5.78

-40.14%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.40 $2.40

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$2.17 $2.17

-18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$6.31 $6.31

-41.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$9.13 $9.13

-58.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$0.77 $0.77

50.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$3.60 $3.60

-48.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$3.76 $3.76

-36.17%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$4.72 $4.72

-15.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$13.56 $13.56

-15.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$12.04 $12.04

-42.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$17.48 $17.48

-17.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$4.37 $4.37

-56.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$2.11 $2.11

1.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$3.39 $3.39

-32.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$3.87 $3.87

4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$2.36 $2.36

-56.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.37 $2.37

-58.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.80 $1.80

-12.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$1.84 $1.84

-61.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$11.02 $11.02

-27.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$15.10 $15.10

-59.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$2.46 $2.46

-49.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$3.51 $3.51

-41.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.99 $0.99

60.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$38.50 $38.50

-28.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$2.35 $2.35

45.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$2.32 $2.32

-42.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$0.98 $0.98

96.94%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$27.8K $27.8K

4.88%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$23.9K $23.9K

45.56%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$176 $176

-0.82%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$57.0 $57.0

-58.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$87.4 $87.4

-73.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$50.2 $50.2

37.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$10.89 $10.89

76.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$10.09 $10.09

2.18%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$683 $683

-21.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$58.2 $58.2

71.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$31.55 $31.55

37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$84.7 $84.7

31.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$102 $102

16.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$966 $966

-13.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$794 $794

-20.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$1,725 $1,725

-8.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$1,532 $1,532

-21.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,121 $2,121

169.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,971 $1,971

100.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$3,589 $3,589

-52.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.36

1.42%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Las Cruces, NM

$794 38.4% 26.2% $165

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Las Cruces, NM

$389 18.8% 48.6% $127

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Las Cruces, NM

$313 15.1% 38.2% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Las Cruces, NM

$320 15.5% 44.5% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Las Cruces, NM

$124 6% 26.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Las Cruces, NM

$70 3.4% 21.4% $19

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Las Cruces, NM

$56 2.7% 28.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $966 in Las Cruces, NM. 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 110% higher in Las Cruces, NM, 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 $45.00 in Las Cruces, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $389 in Las Cruces, NM – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🕒 Local time

13:40 1:40 PM

05:40 5:40 AM

8 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

111,385

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Las Cruces, NM 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Las Cruces, NM

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 Las Cruces, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Las Cruces, NM is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $3,101 in Las Cruces, NM. 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 40% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $683 in Las Cruces, NM. 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 Las Cruces, NM at $2,067. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Las Cruces, NM 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, Las Cruces, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.