Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Champaign, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,161 in Champaign, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Champaign, IL
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Champaign, IL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Champaign, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,161

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Champaign, IL and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Champaign, IL and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,161 per month in Champaign, IL vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Champaign, IL $2,161
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Champaign, IL vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Champaign, IL $3,133
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,106 per month in Champaign, IL vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Champaign, IL $4,106
Budapest $3,429

Champaign, IL costs about 33% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Champaign, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Champaign, IL by 60%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$13.94 Ft 4,503

9.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-0.79%

Cappuccino

$4.83 $4.83

$3.26 Ft 1,055

48.16%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$2.14 Ft 690

0.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.78 Ft 577

-2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 $5.57

$3.71 Ft 1,198

50.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.77 Ft 1,217

41.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.15 Ft 371

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.79 Ft 578

75.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.49 Ft 804

25.70%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 $12.19

$11.10 Ft 3,587

9.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-9.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.83 Ft 591

88.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.05 Ft 661

-32.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.37 Ft 765

30.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.90 Ft 1,260

16.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.99 Ft 320

104.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.00 Ft 322

123.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.58 Ft 511

39.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.67 Ft 216

86.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 $10.25

$7.96 Ft 2,572

28.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$6.22 Ft 2,009

136.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.27 Ft 411

69.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.03 Ft 654

100.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.52 Ft 490

-36.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.38 $20.38

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-27.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-23.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.37 Ft 442

16.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.82 Ft 589

-36.26%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

17.87%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-4.61%

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

$240 $240

$171 Ft 55.3K

40.21%

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

$45.66 $45.66

$23.51 Ft 7,596

94.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$23.29 Ft 7,526

190.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 $25.34

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-62.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.85 $11.85

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-37.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 $11.09

$9.30 Ft 3,004

19.25%

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

$993 $993

$533 Ft 172.3K

86.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K $19.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

18.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 $48.98

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-50.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$110 Ft 35.7K

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$119 Ft 38.4K

2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$830 Ft 268.3K

75.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$622 Ft 200.9K

63.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 $1,941

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

21.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 $1,691

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

44.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-71.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 $1,709

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-56.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,674 $3,674

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

122.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.45

5.74%

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

Last update for Champaign, IL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Champaign, IL

$1K 47%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 38.8% $394

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Champaign, IL

$353 16.3%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 38.3% $135

Groceries & Markets

Champaign, IL

$316 14.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 18.4% $58

Eating Out

Champaign, IL

$264 12.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 15.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Champaign, IL

$129 * 6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 29.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Champaign, IL

$48 2.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 81.3% $39

Getting Around

Champaign, IL

$35 1.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 27.3% $9.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,453 in Champaign, IL versus $830 in Budapest. 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 123% higher in Champaign, IL, 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 Champaign, IL versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $316 in Champaign, IL vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Champaign, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

03:56 3:56 AM

7 h ahead of Champaign, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,302

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Champaign, IL Budapest 7,920 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Champaign, IL
Budapest

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

Champaign, IL vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Champaign, IL is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,241 per month in Champaign, IL and $2,428 in Budapest. 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 37% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $993 per month in Champaign, IL and $533 in Budapest. 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 Champaign, IL at $2,161. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Champaign, IL 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, Champaign, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.