Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,171 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,236 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,301 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Budapest $3,483

Des Moines, IA costs about 32% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Des Moines, IA and Budapest sit above the global median – Des Moines, IA by 60%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$14.04 Ft 4,536

40.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$10.37 Ft 3,351

17.84%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$3.46 Ft 1,117

78.03%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.07 Ft 669

41.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.77 Ft 572

44.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.69 Ft 1,191

35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.80 Ft 1,229

55.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.16 Ft 374

-21.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.85 Ft 598

63.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.40 Ft 776

40.83%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$3.99 Ft 1,289

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$6.87 Ft 2,221

44.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.88 Ft 607

130.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.14 Ft 693

-29.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.30 Ft 744

97.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-8.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.02 Ft 329

200.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.99 Ft 320

116.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.58 Ft 510

50.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.70 Ft 225

212.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$6.18 Ft 1,997

139.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.24 Ft 401

37.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.06 Ft 666

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.59 Ft 513

8.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$27.52 Ft 8,893

111.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-42.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.33 Ft 431

-7.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-3.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.93 Ft 624

-51.81%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-6.73%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-27.59%

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

$185 $185

$175 Ft 56.4K

5.73%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$23.62 Ft 7,631

126.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$23.60 Ft 7,625

197.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$19.26 Ft 6,224

4.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-3.10%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$535 Ft 172.9K

121.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-29.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-40.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-0.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$112 Ft 36.1K

-9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$119 Ft 38.4K

21.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$832 Ft 268.8K

41.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$629 Ft 203.3K

38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

9.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

16.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-59.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-41.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

113.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.45

1.71%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: 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

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 27.9% $243

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Budapest

$262 16% 25.1% $88

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 30.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 28.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 7.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 6.8% $5.7

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 39.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA 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 113% higher in Des Moines, IA, 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 $81.0 in Des Moines, IA versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

7 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Des Moines, IA Budapest 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
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

Des Moines, IA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Des Moines, IA is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,256 per month in Des Moines, IA 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 111% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,187 per month in Des Moines, IA 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 Des Moines, IA at $2,171. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Des Moines, IA 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, Des Moines, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.