Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eliot, ME and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,793 in Eliot, ME, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Eliot, ME
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Eliot, ME Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Eliot, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,793

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,793 per month in Eliot, ME vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Eliot, ME $2,793
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $4,005 per month in Eliot, ME vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Eliot, ME $4,005
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $5,217 per month in Eliot, ME vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Eliot, ME $5,217
Budapest $3,483

Eliot, ME costs about 70% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Eliot, ME and Budapest sit above the global median – Eliot, ME by 106%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.22 $18.22

$14.04 Ft 4,536

29.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 $50.2

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-17.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-11.57%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$3.46 Ft 1,117

42.77%

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

$1.85 $1.85

$2.07 Ft 669

-10.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.77 Ft 572

-17.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.24 $8.24

$3.69 Ft 1,191

123.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.98 $8.98

$3.80 Ft 1,229

136.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.16 Ft 374

-5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.85 Ft 598

135.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$2.40 Ft 776

201.25%

Eggs

$6.13 $6.13

$3.99 Ft 1,289

53.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.73 $15.73

$11.40 Ft 3,683

37.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 $14.75

$6.87 Ft 2,221

114.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 $19.01

$14.49 Ft 4,682

31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.50 $7.50

$1.88 Ft 607

298.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.14 Ft 693

-7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.30 Ft 744

133.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$4.04 Ft 1,304

86.63%

Potato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.02 Ft 329

343.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$0.99 Ft 320

302.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.58 Ft 510

89.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.70 Ft 225

322.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.39 $13.39

$8.03 Ft 2,594

66.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.95 $15.95

$6.18 Ft 1,997

158.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.24 Ft 401

143.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 $5.56

$2.06 Ft 666

169.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.59 Ft 513

42.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-25.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.33 Ft 431

32.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.95 $27.95

$20.45 Ft 6,607

36.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.93 Ft 624

-40.41%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

2.89%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-25.40%

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

$246 $246

$175 Ft 56.4K

40.89%

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

$45.58 $45.58

$23.62 Ft 7,631

92.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.8 $73.8

$23.60 Ft 7,625

212.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-39.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$16.18 $16.18

$10.31 Ft 3,333

56.94%

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

$2,889 $2,889

$535 Ft 172.9K

439.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

113.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-24.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

18.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$112 Ft 36.1K

4.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 $161

$119 Ft 38.4K

35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 $1,585

$832 Ft 268.8K

90.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 $1,325

$629 Ft 203.3K

110.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

59.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

79.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,501 $2,501

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-56.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,678 $2,678

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-32.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.45

3.26%

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

Last update for Eliot, ME: 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

Eliot, ME

$1.3K 47.4%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 52.5% $696

Groceries & Markets

Eliot, ME

$522 18.7%

Budapest

$262 16% 49.8% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eliot, ME

$365 13.1%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 39.3% $144

Eating Out

Eliot, ME

$305 10.9%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 25.8% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Eliot, ME

$182 6.5%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 7.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Eliot, ME

$74 2.7%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 20.5% $15

Getting Around

Eliot, ME

$20 * 0.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 116% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,585 in Eliot, ME 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Eliot, ME versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $522 in Eliot, ME vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Eliot, ME

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

18:04 6:04 PM

6 h ahead of Eliot, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,700

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Eliot, ME Budapest 6,630 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Eliot, ME
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

Eliot, ME vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Eliot, ME is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,190 per month in Eliot, ME 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Eliot, ME and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 99% more in Eliot, ME, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Eliot, ME at $2,793. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Eliot, ME 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, Eliot, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.