Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Winona, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $1,950 in Winona, MN, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,641
/mo nomad
Winona, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$1,950
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Winona, MN

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 Winona, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,950 in Winona, MN, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,641
  • Winona, MN $1,950

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,925 in Winona, MN, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,562
  • Winona, MN $2,925

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $3,900 in Winona, MN, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,483
  • Winona, MN $3,900

Budapest is about 16% cheaper than Winona, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Winona, MN sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Winona, MN by 44%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.04 Ft 4,536
$15.12 $15.12
-7.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 Ft 19.7K
$58.5 $58.5
4.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 Ft 3,351
$11.46 $11.46
-9.51%
Cappuccino
$3.46 Ft 1,117
$5.54 $5.54
-37.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 Ft 669
$1.79 $1.79
15.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 Ft 572
$1.03 $1.03
71.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 Ft 1,191
$4.12 $4.12
-10.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 Ft 1,229
$5.90 $5.90
-35.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 Ft 374
$1.00 $1.00
16.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 Ft 598
$1.41 $1.41
31.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.40 Ft 776
$4.16 $4.16
-42.31%
Eggs
$3.99 Ft 1,289
$1.75 $1.75
128.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 Ft 3,683
$14.72 $14.72
-22.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.87 Ft 2,221
$13.41 $13.41
-48.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.49 Ft 4,682
$19.81 $19.81
-26.86%
Apples (1kg)
$1.88 Ft 607
$4.61 $4.61
-59.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 Ft 693
$0.64 $0.64
234.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 Ft 744
$5.12 $5.12
-55.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.04 Ft 1,304
$4.96 $4.96
-18.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 Ft 329
$2.79 $2.79
-63.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$3.03 $3.03
-67.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 510
$2.10 $2.10
-24.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 Ft 225
$2.37 $2.37
-70.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.03 Ft 2,594
$10.85 $10.85
-25.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 Ft 1,997
$15.47 $15.47
-60.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 Ft 401
$2.70 $2.70
-54.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 Ft 666
$4.33 $4.33
-52.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 Ft 513
$2.03 $2.03
-21.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.52 Ft 8,893
$66.8 $66.8
-58.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 Ft 1,110
$3.88 $3.88
-11.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 Ft 431
$2.06 $2.06
-35.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.45 Ft 6,607
$42.95 $42.95
-52.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 Ft 624
$0.99 $0.99
94.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K Ft 9.4M
$31.1K $31.1K
-6.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K Ft 11.2M
$26.1K $26.1K
33.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$175 Ft 56.4K
$198 $198
-11.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.62 Ft 7,631
$29.44 $29.44
-19.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.60 Ft 7,625
$53.2 $53.2
-55.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.8 Ft 22.2K
$60.4 $60.4
14.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.26 Ft 6,224
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.31 Ft 3,333
$9.82 $9.82
4.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$535 Ft 172.9K
$1,718 $1,718
-68.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$23.9K $23.9K
-29.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.9 Ft 32.3K
$63.1 $63.1
58.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.27 Ft 14.0K
$50.4 $50.4
-14.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 Ft 36.1K
$106 $106
5.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$123 $123
-3.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$832 Ft 268.8K
$867 $867
-4.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 203.3K
$686 $686
-8.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 Ft 512.4K
$1,285 $1,285
23.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 Ft 386.6K
$1,180 $1,180
1.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,718 Ft 1.8M
$1,671 $1,671
242.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,947 Ft 1.3M
$1,653 $1,653
138.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Winona, MN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,712 Ft 553.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
6.69
-3.59%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Winona, MN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Winona, MN
$686 9% $56
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$262
Winona, MN
$395 50.9% $133
Eating Out
Budapest
$226
Winona, MN
$265 17.3% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$222
Winona, MN
$280 26.4% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Winona, MN
$154 8.5% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$89
Winona, MN
$80 10.6% $9.5
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Winona, MN
$89 103% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $867 in Winona, MN. 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $58.0 in Winona, MN. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $395 in Winona, MN – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇺🇸 Winona, MN
🕒 Local time
10:04 10:04 AM
03:04 3:04 AM
7 h behind Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
26,533
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Winona, MN 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Winona, MN

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 Winona, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Winona, MN cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Winona, MN is pricier by about 19%, 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 $2,461 per month in Budapest and $2,924 in Winona, MN. 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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 143% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $1,718 in Winona, MN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Winona, MN?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Winona, MN at $1,950. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Winona, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Winona, MN 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 Winona, MN?
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, Winona, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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