Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,160 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,160

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,160 per month in Denver, CO vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Denver, CO $3,160
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,580 per month in Denver, CO vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Denver, CO $4,580
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $6,000 per month in Denver, CO vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Denver, CO $6,000
Budapest $3,489

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

Both Denver, CO and Budapest sit above the global median – Denver, CO by 136%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$13.99 Ft 4,555

42.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 $87.7

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

45.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 $11.72

$9.96 Ft 3,244

17.67%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$3.38 Ft 1,102

72.78%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$2.13 Ft 693

40.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.87 Ft 609

22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.01 $7.01

$3.75 Ft 1,222

86.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.57 Ft 1,163

122.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.13 Ft 369

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.84 Ft 600

185.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.19 $7.19

$2.39 Ft 777

200.84%

Eggs

$5.24 $5.24

$3.83 Ft 1,246

36.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 $16.13

$11.33 Ft 3,689

42.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.04 $17.04

$6.74 Ft 2,194

152.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 $17.89

$14.69 Ft 4,784

21.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$1.84 Ft 598

184.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.01 Ft 654

2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.36 Ft 767

106.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$3.77 Ft 1,227

41.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.96 Ft 314

173.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.03 Ft 335

169.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.56 Ft 509

45.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.66 Ft 216

277.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$7.96 Ft 2,594

30.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 $19.12

$6.01 Ft 1,956

218.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.30 Ft 422

113.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.08 Ft 677

73.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.50 Ft 490

80.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 $88.6

$27.61 Ft 8,991

220.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.30 Ft 1,075

6.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.30 Ft 424

31.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.38 $30.38

$19.78 Ft 6,442

53.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.81 Ft 591

-40.33%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

18.49%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-25.39%

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

$167 $167

$170 Ft 55.3K

-1.77%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$23.98 Ft 7,809

216.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$23.42 Ft 7,628

195.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 $61.5

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.75 $24.75

$19.18 Ft 6,245

29.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 $14.82

$9.52 Ft 3,101

55.67%

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

$2,416 $2,416

$537 Ft 174.8K

350.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.5K $34.5K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

107.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 $71.6

$101 Ft 33.0K

-29.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.65 $45.65

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

6.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$113 Ft 36.7K

-8.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$119 Ft 38.7K

8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 $2,012

$805 Ft 262.2K

149.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 $1,713

$629 Ft 204.9K

172.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,277 $3,277

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

111.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,619 $2,619

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

124.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,649 $5,649

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

0.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,760 $3,760

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-5.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,413 $4,413

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

171.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

6.43

7.31%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 63.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$498 15.5%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 48.3% $240

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$337 10.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 33.4% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$312 9.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 30.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$157 4.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 7.7% $12

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$111 3.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 61% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$91 2.8%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 6.5% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,012 in Denver, CO 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 171% higher in Denver, CO, 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 $88.0 in Denver, CO versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $498 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:12 1:12 AM

09:12 9:12 AM

8 h ahead of Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

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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Between locations

Denver, CO Budapest 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Denver, CO
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

Denver, CO vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,739 per month in Denver, CO 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 221% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,416 per month in Denver, CO 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 Denver, CO at $3,160. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Denver, CO 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, Denver, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.