Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

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

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, 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 Chicago, IL and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,169 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,169
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,682 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,682
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $6,196 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,196
Budapest $3,489

Chicago, IL costs about 95% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$13.99 Ft 4,555

54.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

51.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$9.96 Ft 3,244

31.43%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.38 Ft 1,102

71.01%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.13 Ft 693

23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.87 Ft 609

21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.75 Ft 1,222

85.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$3.57 Ft 1,163

150.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.13 Ft 369

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.84 Ft 600

114.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.39 Ft 777

107.53%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$3.83 Ft 1,246

21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$11.33 Ft 3,689

23.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 $14.37

$6.74 Ft 2,194

113.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$14.69 Ft 4,784

26.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$1.84 Ft 598

191.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.01 Ft 654

-3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.36 Ft 767

69.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.77 Ft 1,227

31.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.96 Ft 314

191.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.03 Ft 335

167.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.56 Ft 509

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$0.66 Ft 216

372.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.71 $15.71

$7.96 Ft 2,594

97.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$6.01 Ft 1,956

153.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.30 Ft 422

97.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.08 Ft 677

67.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.50 Ft 490

65.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

$27.61 Ft 8,991

169.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-2.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.30 Ft 424

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$19.78 Ft 6,442

23.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.81 Ft 591

-30.94%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

22.34%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-23.82%

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

$195 $195

$170 Ft 55.3K

14.50%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$23.98 Ft 7,809

187.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$23.42 Ft 7,628

164.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 $54.5

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-17.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.80 $27.80

$19.18 Ft 6,245

44.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$9.52 Ft 3,101

87.39%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$537 Ft 174.8K

181.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

87.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 $68.1

$101 Ft 33.0K

-32.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$113 Ft 36.7K

-10.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$119 Ft 38.7K

18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 $2,437

$805 Ft 262.2K

202.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$629 Ft 204.9K

164.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

199.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

135.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,036 $4,036

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-28.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,677 $2,677

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-32.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,861 $4,861

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

199.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.43

5.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 62.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 42.7% $192

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 36.6% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 33.3% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 3.7% $6.1

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 54.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 5.4% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,437 in Chicago, IL versus $805 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 199% higher in Chicago, 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 $91.0 in Chicago, IL versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

04:42 4:42 AM

7 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Chicago, IL Budapest 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,753 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,432 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 169% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,513 per month in Chicago, IL and $537 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 $1,621, than in Chicago, IL at $3,169. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, 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, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.