Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,666 in Denver, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Denver
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Denver Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Denver

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,666

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,666 per month in Denver vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Denver $2,666
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,649 per month in Denver vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Denver $3,649
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,631 per month in Denver vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Denver $4,631
Budapest $3,429

Denver costs about 65% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Denver and Budapest sit above the global median – Denver by 98%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.94 A$24.37

$13.94 Ft 4,503

21.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 A$137

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

55.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 A$15.43

$10.19 Ft 3,291

5.20%

Cappuccino

$4.40 A$6.33

$3.26 Ft 1,055

34.97%

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

$2.80 A$4.03

$2.14 Ft 690

30.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 A$3.68

$1.78 Ft 577

43.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 A$11.27

$3.71 Ft 1,198

111.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 A$10.74

$3.77 Ft 1,217

97.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.92

$1.15 Ft 371

16.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 A$4.31

$1.79 Ft 578

67.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.65

$2.49 Ft 804

1.61%

Eggs

$5.49 A$7.89

$3.90 Ft 1,261

40.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 A$14.02

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-12.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.54 A$15.16

$6.62 Ft 2,139

59.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 A$18.12

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-14.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 A$5.48

$1.83 Ft 591

108.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.49

$2.05 Ft 661

52.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.37

$2.37 Ft 765

28.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 A$7.31

$3.90 Ft 1,260

30.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.09

$0.99 Ft 320

186.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.14

$1.00 Ft 322

118.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.45

$1.58 Ft 511

51.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 A$2.07

$0.67 Ft 216

114.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.07 A$62.0

$7.96 Ft 2,572

441.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.42 A$20.76

$6.22 Ft 2,009

131.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$7.08

$1.27 Ft 411

287.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 A$7.86

$2.03 Ft 654

169.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 A$3.82

$1.52 Ft 490

74.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 A$128

$28.02 Ft 9,053

217.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.73

$3.31 Ft 1,070

20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.37 Ft 442

18.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.09 A$54.8

$19.83 Ft 6,406

92.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.82 Ft 589

-20.88%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-2.70%

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

$31.1K A$44.8K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-8.00%

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

$210 A$302

$171 Ft 55.3K

22.45%

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

$27.33 A$39.33

$23.51 Ft 7,596

16.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$84.3

$23.29 Ft 7,526

151.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 A$76.7

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-21.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 A$26.39

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-2.91%

Cinema Ticket

$16.27 A$23.41

$9.30 Ft 3,004

74.95%

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

$2,199 A$3,165

$533 Ft 172.3K

312.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K A$32.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

35.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$98.2

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-31.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.94 A$70.4

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

12.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$150

$110 Ft 35.7K

-5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$181

$119 Ft 38.4K

5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 A$1,846

$830 Ft 268.3K

54.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 A$1,938

$622 Ft 200.9K

116.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

20.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 A$2,345

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

39.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,041 A$8,692

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

3.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 A$6,770

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

20.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.45

-9.46%

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

Last update for Denver: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver

$1.3K 50.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 53.8% $725

Groceries & Markets

Denver

$375 14.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 31.1% $117

Eating Out

Denver

$296 11.1%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 24.7% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver

$295 11.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 26.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Denver

$156 5.9%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 7.2% $11

Getting Around

Denver

$112 4.2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 60.4% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Denver

$86 3.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,283 in Denver 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Denver versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Denver

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

18:59 6:59 PM

9 h behind Denver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Denver Budapest 15,480 km ≈ 20 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

Denver vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Denver is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,000 per month in Denver 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 217% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,199 per month in Denver 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 Denver at $2,666. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Denver 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 makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.