Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davis, CA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $3,382 in Davis, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Davis, CA
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Davis, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,382

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,382 per month in Davis, CA vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Davis, CA $3,382
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $5,016 per month in Davis, CA vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Davis, CA $5,016
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $6,650 per month in Davis, CA vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Davis, CA $6,650
Budapest $3,429

Davis, CA costs about 109% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Davis, CA and Budapest sit above the global median – Davis, CA by 151%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$13.94 Ft 4,503

58.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

66.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.19 Ft 3,291

26.59%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$3.26 Ft 1,055

62.58%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.14 Ft 690

73.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.78 Ft 577

33.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.71 Ft 1,198

121.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$3.77 Ft 1,217

114.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.15 Ft 371

14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.79 Ft 578

106.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.49 Ft 804

67.87%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$3.90 Ft 1,261

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$11.10 Ft 3,587

0.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$6.62 Ft 2,139

133.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$14.69 Ft 4,745

17.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.83 Ft 591

180.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.05 Ft 661

-20.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.37 Ft 765

80.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.90 Ft 1,260

18.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.99 Ft 320

177.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.00 Ft 322

189.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.58 Ft 511

39.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.67 Ft 216

243.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.96 Ft 2,572

26.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 $15.86

$6.22 Ft 2,009

154.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.27 Ft 411

36.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.03 Ft 654

64.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.52 Ft 490

-2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.89 $37.89

$28.02 Ft 9,053

35.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-10.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.37 Ft 442

13.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.28 $28.28

$19.83 Ft 6,406

42.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.82 Ft 589

-23.63%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

22.63%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-24.44%

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

$293 $293

$171 Ft 55.3K

71.25%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$23.51 Ft 7,596

151.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$23.29 Ft 7,526

224.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 $58.3

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-13.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 $15.57

$9.30 Ft 3,004

67.42%

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

$1,403 $1,403

$533 Ft 172.3K

163.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

24.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-45.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 $41.84

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-3.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 $97.4

$110 Ft 35.7K

-11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$119 Ft 38.4K

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$830 Ft 268.3K

165.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$622 Ft 200.9K

203.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,761 $3,761

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

136.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,355 $3,355

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

186.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-52.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-37.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,017 $5,017

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

203.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.45

-5.43%

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

Last update for Davis, CA: 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

Davis, CA

$1.9K 55.8%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 67% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davis, CA

$428 12.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 49.1% $210

Groceries & Markets

Davis, CA

$423 12.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 39.1% $165

Eating Out

Davis, CA

$361 10.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 38.3% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Davis, CA

$138 4.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 21.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Davis, CA

$89 2.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 3.7% $3.3

Getting Around

Davis, CA

$55 1.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 18.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,203 in Davis, CA 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 204% higher in Davis, CA, 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 $102 in Davis, CA versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

20:51 8:51 PM

9 h ahead of Davis, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,850

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 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 →

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Between locations

Davis, CA Budapest 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Davis, CA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Davis, CA is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,073 per month in Davis, CA 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 35% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,403 per month in Davis, CA 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 Davis, CA at $3,382. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Davis, CA 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, Davis, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.