Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, SC and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,257 in Columbia, SC, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
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Columbia, SC Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,257

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,257 per month in Columbia, SC vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Columbia, SC $2,257
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,448 per month in Columbia, SC vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Columbia, SC $3,448
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,639 per month in Columbia, SC vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Columbia, SC $4,639
Budapest $3,489

Columbia, SC costs about 39% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Columbia, SC and Budapest sit above the global median – Columbia, SC by 68%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$13.99 Ft 4,551

44.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$9.96 Ft 3,241

21.89%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$3.38 Ft 1,100

55.62%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$2.13 Ft 692

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.87 Ft 608

17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 $5.63

$3.75 Ft 1,221

50.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.57 Ft 1,162

87.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.13 Ft 368

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.84 Ft 599

34.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.39 Ft 777

96.23%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.83 Ft 1,245

8.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 $10.26

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-9.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$6.74 Ft 2,192

64.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 $16.12

$14.69 Ft 4,780

9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.84 Ft 597

172.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.01 Ft 653

-22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.36 Ft 767

178.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$3.77 Ft 1,226

64.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$0.96 Ft 313

229.17%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.03 Ft 334

304.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.56 Ft 509

21.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.66 Ft 216

163.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.27 $8.27

$7.96 Ft 2,591

3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 $16.20

$6.01 Ft 1,954

169.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.30 Ft 421

45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.08 Ft 676

28.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.50 Ft 489

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.05 $40.05

$27.61 Ft 8,982

45.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.30 Ft 424

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.90 $17.90

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-9.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.81 Ft 591

-45.86%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

17.43%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-27.09%

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

$270 $270

$170 Ft 55.3K

58.73%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$23.98 Ft 7,802

148.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 $65.3

$23.42 Ft 7,621

178.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.84 $36.84

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-44.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 $17.87

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-6.83%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$9.52 Ft 3,098

59.77%

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

$1,122 $1,122

$537 Ft 174.6K

109.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K $22.6K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

36.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-49.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 $40.48

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-5.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$113 Ft 36.7K

-25.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$119 Ft 38.6K

-3.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 $1,270

$805 Ft 262.0K

57.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 $855

$629 Ft 204.7K

35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

40.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,776 $1,776

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

52.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,102 $2,102

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-62.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 $1,639

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-58.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,253 $3,253

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

100.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.43

2.02%

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

Last update for Columbia, SC: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbia, SC

$855 38.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 26.4% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, SC

$395 17.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 44.9% $177

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, SC

$388 17.5%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 33.6% $130

Eating Out

Columbia, SC

$323 14.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 30.6% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, SC

$131 5.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 29.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, SC

$67 3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 26.8% $18

Getting Around

Columbia, SC

$58 2.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 25.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,270 in Columbia, SC 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 100% higher in Columbia, 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 $59.0 in Columbia, SC versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Columbia, SC vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

13:50 1:50 PM

6 h ahead of Columbia, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,698

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 = 325 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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Between locations

Columbia, SC Budapest 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, SC
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

Columbia, SC vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Columbia, SC is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,386 per month in Columbia, SC 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 45% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,122 per month in Columbia, SC 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 Columbia, SC at $2,257. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Columbia, 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, Columbia, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.