Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Long Beach, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,570 in Long Beach, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Long Beach, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,570
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Long Beach, NY

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 Long Beach, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $2,570 in Long Beach, NY, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,621
  • Long Beach, NY $2,570

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $3,827 in Long Beach, NY, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,555
  • Long Beach, NY $3,827

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $5,083 in Long Beach, NY, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,489
  • Long Beach, NY $5,083

Budapest is about 37% cheaper than Long Beach, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Long Beach, NY sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Long Beach, NY by 92%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.99 Ft 4,551
$24.97 $24.97
-43.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
$80.2 $80.2
-24.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.96 Ft 3,241
$10.94 $10.94
-8.96%
Cappuccino
$3.38 Ft 1,100
$5.59 $5.59
-39.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 Ft 692
$2.55 $2.55
-16.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 Ft 608
$1.51 $1.51
23.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.75 Ft 1,221
$7.85 $7.85
-52.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 Ft 1,162
$8.10 $8.10
-55.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Ft 368
$1.30 $1.30
-13.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 Ft 599
$4.31 $4.31
-57.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 Ft 777
$6.21 $6.21
-61.51%
Eggs
$3.83 Ft 1,245
$6.98 $6.98
-45.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.33 Ft 3,686
$13.39 $13.39
-15.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.74 Ft 2,192
$11.65 $11.65
-42.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,780
$17.33 $17.33
-15.23%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 Ft 597
$5.40 $5.40
-65.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 Ft 653
$1.78 $1.78
12.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 Ft 767
$4.17 $4.17
-43.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.77 Ft 1,226
$5.23 $5.23
-27.92%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 Ft 313
$3.07 $3.07
-68.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 Ft 334
$2.99 $2.99
-65.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 Ft 509
$2.83 $2.83
-44.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 Ft 216
$2.96 $2.96
-77.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,591
$11.59 $11.59
-31.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.01 Ft 1,954
$14.85 $14.85
-59.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 Ft 421
$1.75 $1.75
-25.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 Ft 676
$3.48 $3.48
-40.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 Ft 489
$1.89 $1.89
-20.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.61 Ft 8,982
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 Ft 1,074
$2.94 $2.94
12.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.30 Ft 424
$2.04 $2.04
-36.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.78 Ft 6,436
$23.70 $23.70
-16.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 Ft 591
$1.07 $1.07
69.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
$35.5K $35.5K
-17.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
$25.4K $25.4K
34.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 Ft 55.3K
$169 $169
0.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.98 Ft 7,802
$51.1 $51.1
-53.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.42 Ft 7,621
$49.94 $49.94
-53.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
$38.98 $38.98
69.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.18 Ft 6,239
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.52 Ft 3,098
$14.28 $14.28
-33.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$537 Ft 174.6K
$1,980 $1,980
-72.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
$16.0K $16.0K
3.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 Ft 33.0K
$41.73 $41.73
142.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
$58.5 $58.5
-26.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 Ft 36.7K
$75.2 $75.2
49.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.6K
$104 $104
13.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 Ft 262.0K
$1,615 $1,615
-50.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 204.7K
$1,320 $1,320
-52.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
$2,491 $2,491
-37.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
$2,419 $2,419
-51.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
$2,548 $2,548
120.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
$2,076 $2,076
91.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Long Beach, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
6.75
-4.74%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Long Beach, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Long Beach, NY
$1.3K 110% $690
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Long Beach, NY
$447 73.6% $190
Eating Out
Budapest
$224
Long Beach, NY
$371 65.6% $147
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$217
Long Beach, NY
$270 24.2% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$169
Long Beach, NY
$126 25.5% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$85
Long Beach, NY
$68 20.8% $18
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Long Beach, NY
$21 * 52.4% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $1,615 in Long Beach, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $80.0 in Long Beach, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $447 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇺🇸 Long Beach, NY
🕒 Local time
13:52 1:52 PM
07:52 7:52 AM
6 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
469,450
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Long Beach, NY 6,990 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Long Beach, NY

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 Long Beach, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Long Beach, NY cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Long Beach, NY is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $3,855 in Long Beach, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Long Beach, NY?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $80.0 in Long Beach, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Long Beach, NY?
Groceries cost about 74% more in Long Beach, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Long Beach, NY?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Long Beach, NY at $2,570. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Long Beach, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Long Beach, NY more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Long Beach, NY?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Long Beach, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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