Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edwardsville, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,693 in Edwardsville, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Edwardsville, IL
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Edwardsville, IL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Edwardsville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,693

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,693 per month in Edwardsville, IL vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Edwardsville, IL $2,693
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,826 per month in Edwardsville, IL vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Edwardsville, IL $3,826
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,960 per month in Edwardsville, IL vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Edwardsville, IL $4,960
Budapest $3,429

Edwardsville, IL costs about 66% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edwardsville, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Edwardsville, IL by 99%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.46 $21.46

$13.94 Ft 4,503

53.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 $78.0

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

27.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 $11.36

$10.19 Ft 3,291

11.48%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$3.26 Ft 1,055

79.45%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.14 Ft 690

18.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.78 Ft 577

9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 $6.26

$3.71 Ft 1,198

68.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 $6.37

$3.77 Ft 1,217

68.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.15 Ft 371

-5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.79 Ft 578

107.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.49 Ft 804

62.65%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$3.90 Ft 1,261

7.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$11.10 Ft 3,587

17.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 $10.22

$6.62 Ft 2,139

54.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.83 Ft 591

187.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.05 Ft 661

-27.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.37 Ft 765

78.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.90 Ft 1,260

24.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.99 Ft 320

211.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.00 Ft 322

154.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.58 Ft 511

22.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.67 Ft 216

264.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 $10.67

$7.96 Ft 2,572

34.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$6.22 Ft 2,009

152.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.27 Ft 411

33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.03 Ft 654

44.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.52 Ft 490

15.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 $99.0

$28.02 Ft 9,053

253.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.37 Ft 442

20.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.64 $32.64

$19.83 Ft 6,406

64.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.82 Ft 589

-47.25%

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

$38.5K $38.5K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

29.18%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-16.62%

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

$184 $184

$171 Ft 55.3K

7.76%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$23.51 Ft 7,596

152.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$23.29 Ft 7,526

198.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.00 $41.00

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-39.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$14.50 $14.50

$9.30 Ft 3,004

55.91%

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

$1,411 $1,411

$533 Ft 172.3K

164.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

50.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-47.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.21 $41.21

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 $87.6

$110 Ft 35.7K

-20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$119 Ft 38.4K

-2.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 $1,744

$830 Ft 268.3K

110.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$622 Ft 200.9K

114.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 $2,602

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 $1,949

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

66.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,555 $2,555

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-56.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,439 $2,439

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-37.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,935 $4,935

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

198.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.45

1.86%

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

Last update for Edwardsville, IL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edwardsville, IL

$1.3K 49.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 53.3% $710

Groceries & Markets

Edwardsville, IL

$388 14.4%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 33.6% $131

Eating Out

Edwardsville, IL

$338 12.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 34% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edwardsville, IL

$313 11.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 30.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Edwardsville, IL

$134 5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 25% $34

Getting Around

Edwardsville, IL

$117 4.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 62.2% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Edwardsville, IL

$70 2.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 23% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,744 in Edwardsville, IL 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.

Salaries run about 199% higher in Edwardsville, 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 $78.0 in Edwardsville, IL versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Edwardsville, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

05:20 5:20 AM

7 h ahead of Edwardsville, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,808

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Edwardsville, IL Budapest 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Edwardsville, IL
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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

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

Yes – Edwardsville, IL is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,040 per month in Edwardsville, IL 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 253% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,411 per month in Edwardsville, IL 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 Edwardsville, IL at $2,693. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edwardsville, 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, Edwardsville, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.