Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Union, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,296 in Union, SC, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Union, SC

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 Union, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $2,296 in Union, SC, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Union, SC $2,296

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $3,597 in Union, SC, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Union, SC $3,597

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $4,897 in Union, SC, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Union, SC $4,897

Budapest is about 29% cheaper than Union, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Union, SC sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Union, SC by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$9.15 $9.15

53.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$99.0 $99.0

-38.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$8.51 $8.51

21.86%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$5.98 $5.98

-42.14%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$2.33 $2.33

-11.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.94 $1.94

-8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$2.80 $2.80

31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$3.42 $3.42

11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.07 $1.07

8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$3.26 $3.26

-43.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$2.45 $2.45

-2.04%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$3.30 $3.30

20.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$8.96 $8.96

27.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$13.31 $13.31

-48.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$14.71 $14.71

-1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$2.81 $2.81

-33.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.31 $1.31

63.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$3.24 $3.24

-29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$4.44 $4.44

-9.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$2.37 $2.37

-56.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.12 $2.12

-53.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.75 $1.75

-9.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$1.29 $1.29

-45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$8.35 $8.35

-3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$8.75 $8.75

-29.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.79 $1.79

-30.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$5.16 $5.16

-60.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$2.09 $2.09

-23.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$4.62 $4.62

-25.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$3.02 $3.02

-55.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$34.96 $34.96

-41.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$0.91 $0.91

112.09%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$28.0K $28.0K

4.16%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$25.2K $25.2K

37.59%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$177 $177

-1.40%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$64.9 $64.9

-63.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$45.72 $45.72

-48.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$41.73 $41.73

64.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$13.17 $13.17

-21.72%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$2,585 $2,585

-79.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$23.0K $23.0K

-26.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$47.21 $47.21

111.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$20.96 $20.96

106.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$85.6 $85.6

30.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$99.0 $99.0

20.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$1,390 $1,390

-40.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$1,259 $1,259

-50.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$2,203 $2,203

-28.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$2,419 $2,419

-50.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,700 $2,700

111.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$2,125 $2,125

85.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$2,496 $2,496

-31.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

61.25%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Union, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.8% 100% $630

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Union, SC

$332 14.4% 26.7% $70

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Union, SC

$208 9.1% 7.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Union, SC

$288 12.5% 29.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Union, SC

$114 5% 32.4% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Union, SC

$68 3% 23.9% $21

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Union, SC

$28 * 1.2% 36.2% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $1,390 in Union, SC. 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 46% higher in Union, SC, 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 $99.0 in Union, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $332 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🕒 Local time

12:54 12:54 PM

06:54 6:54 AM

6 h behind Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

8,000

💱 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 Union, SC 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Union, SC

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 Union, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Union, SC is pricier by about 40%, 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 $3,444 in Union, SC. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $99.0 in Union, SC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Union, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Union, SC at $2,296. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Union, SC 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, Union, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.