Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,073 per month in Des Plaines, IL vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Des Plaines, IL $3,073
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,412 per month in Des Plaines, IL vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Des Plaines, IL $4,412
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,750 per month in Des Plaines, IL vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Des Plaines, IL $5,750
Budapest $3,489

Des Plaines, IL costs about 90% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Des Plaines, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Des Plaines, IL by 129%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.88 $20.88

$13.99 Ft 4,551

49.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 $89.5

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

48.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$9.96 Ft 3,241

29.22%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.38 Ft 1,100

67.16%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.13 Ft 692

21.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.87 Ft 608

24.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.75 Ft 1,221

85.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.57 Ft 1,162

124.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.13 Ft 368

-15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.84 Ft 599

89.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.39 Ft 777

76.99%

Eggs

$4.16 $4.16

$3.83 Ft 1,245

8.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.67 $14.67

$11.33 Ft 3,686

29.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$6.74 Ft 2,192

93.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.95 $18.95

$14.69 Ft 4,780

29.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.84 Ft 597

158.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.01 Ft 653

-18.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.36 Ft 767

76.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$3.77 Ft 1,226

27.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.96 Ft 313

177.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.03 Ft 334

166.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.56 Ft 509

37.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.66 Ft 216

265.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 $10.65

$7.96 Ft 2,591

33.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$6.01 Ft 1,954

147.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.30 Ft 421

96.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.08 Ft 676

69.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.50 Ft 489

34.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$27.61 Ft 8,982

120.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.30 Ft 424

5.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 $24.93

$19.78 Ft 6,436

26.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.81 Ft 591

-41.99%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

22.49%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-27.21%

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

$195 $195

$170 Ft 55.3K

14.71%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$23.98 Ft 7,802

152.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$23.42 Ft 7,621

229.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

88.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.72 $40.72

$19.18 Ft 6,239

112.30%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$9.52 Ft 3,098

59.24%

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

$1,545 $1,545

$537 Ft 174.6K

187.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

41.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 $65.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-35.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

18.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$113 Ft 36.7K

-10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$119 Ft 38.6K

3.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$805 Ft 262.0K

159.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$629 Ft 204.7K

141.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,861 $3,861

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

149.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,536 $2,536

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

117.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 $3,174

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-43.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,521 $2,521

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-36.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,220 $6,220

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

282.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.43

5.29%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 58.6% $892

Groceries & Markets

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 38.5% $161

Eating Out

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 34.8% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 34.7% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 45% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 10.7% $16

Getting Around

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 44.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL 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 283% higher in Des Plaines, IL, 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 $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

7 h ahead of Des Plaines, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,675

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 = 325 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

Des Plaines, IL Budapest 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Plaines, IL
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 Plaines, IL vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Des Plaines, IL is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,609 per month in Des Plaines, IL 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 120% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,545 per month in Des Plaines, IL 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 Des Plaines, IL at $3,073. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Des Plaines, IL 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 Plaines, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.