Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dayton, OH and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,214 in Dayton, OH, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Dayton, OH
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Dayton, OH Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Dayton, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,214

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,214 per month in Dayton, OH vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Dayton, OH $2,214
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,280 per month in Dayton, OH vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Dayton, OH $3,280
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,345 per month in Dayton, OH vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Dayton, OH $4,345
Budapest $3,483

Dayton, OH costs about 35% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dayton, OH and Budapest sit above the global median – Dayton, OH by 63%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.47 $14.47

$14.04 Ft 4,536

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 $71.1

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

16.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-4.53%

Cappuccino

$4.25 $4.25

$3.46 Ft 1,117

22.83%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$2.07 Ft 669

8.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.77 Ft 572

5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.69 Ft 1,191

25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.80 Ft 1,229

56.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.16 Ft 374

-31.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.85 Ft 598

47.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.40 Ft 776

57.08%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$11.40 Ft 3,683

16.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.28 $24.28

$6.87 Ft 2,221

253.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 $17.25

$14.49 Ft 4,682

19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.88 Ft 607

212.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.14 Ft 693

-9.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$2.30 Ft 744

214.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$4.04 Ft 1,304

29.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.02 Ft 329

164.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$0.99 Ft 320

219.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.58 Ft 510

39.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.70 Ft 225

297.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$8.03 Ft 2,594

20.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 $19.70

$6.18 Ft 1,997

218.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.24 Ft 401

41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.06 Ft 666

72.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.59 Ft 513

152.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.33 $49.33

$27.52 Ft 8,893

79.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.43 Ft 1,110

47.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.33 Ft 431

36.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.9 $50.9

$20.45 Ft 6,607

148.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.93 Ft 624

-46.63%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-5.52%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-22.90%

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

$205 $205

$175 Ft 56.4K

17.21%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$23.62 Ft 7,631

112.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$23.60 Ft 7,625

150.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.95 $32.95

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-52.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.30 $45.30

$19.26 Ft 6,224

135.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$10.31 Ft 3,333

37.15%

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

$529 $529

$535 Ft 172.9K

-1.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,520 $6,520

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-61.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.13 $39.13

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-60.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.07 $47.07

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$112 Ft 36.1K

-36.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$119 Ft 38.4K

2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 $1,194

$832 Ft 268.8K

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

$629 Ft 203.3K

43.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

0.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 $1,398

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

16.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 $1,451

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-63.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,416 $3,416

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

99.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

6.45

4.50%

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

Last update for Dayton, OH: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dayton, OH

$901 40.7%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 30.1% $271

Groceries & Markets

Dayton, OH

$486 21.9%

Budapest

$262 16% 46.1% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dayton, OH

$314 14.2%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 29.3% $92

Eating Out

Dayton, OH

$248 11.2%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 8.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Dayton, OH

$126 5.7%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 34% $43

Getting Around

Dayton, OH

$80 3.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 44.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Dayton, OH

$61 2.8%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 46.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,194 in Dayton, OH versus $832 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 Dayton, OH, 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 $71.0 in Dayton, OH versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $486 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dayton, OH

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

00:18 12:18 AM

6 h ahead of Dayton, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,771

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 →

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Between locations

Dayton, OH Budapest 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Dayton, OH
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dayton, OH vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dayton, OH is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,322 per month in Dayton, OH and $2,461 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 79% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $529 per month in Dayton, OH and $535 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 $1,641, than in Dayton, OH at $2,214. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dayton, OH 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, Dayton, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.