Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellicott City, MD and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $3,456 in Ellicott City, MD, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Ellicott City, MD
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Ellicott City, MD Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ellicott City, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,456

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,456 per month in Ellicott City, MD vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Ellicott City, MD $3,456
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $4,609 per month in Ellicott City, MD vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Ellicott City, MD $4,609
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $5,762 per month in Ellicott City, MD vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Ellicott City, MD $5,762
Budapest $3,483

Ellicott City, MD costs about 111% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ellicott City, MD and Budapest sit above the global median – Ellicott City, MD by 155%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 $17.95

$14.04 Ft 4,536

27.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.3 $96.3

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

58.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 $10.76

$10.37 Ft 3,351

3.76%

Cappuccino

$5.19 $5.19

$3.46 Ft 1,117

50.00%

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

$3.48 $3.48

$2.07 Ft 669

68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.77 Ft 572

49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.69 Ft 1,191

94.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$3.80 Ft 1,229

115.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.16 Ft 374

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.85 Ft 598

121.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.40 Ft 776

62.92%

Eggs

$4.71 $4.71

$3.99 Ft 1,289

18.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$11.40 Ft 3,683

47.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$6.87 Ft 2,221

90.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 $18.63

$14.49 Ft 4,682

28.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.88 Ft 607

213.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.14 Ft 693

-25.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.30 Ft 744

82.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.04 Ft 1,304

6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.02 Ft 329

111.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.99 Ft 320

164.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.58 Ft 510

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.70 Ft 225

222.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 $13.63

$8.03 Ft 2,594

69.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$6.18 Ft 1,997

154.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.24 Ft 401

116.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.06 Ft 666

51.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-48.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.33 Ft 431

0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.53 $23.53

$20.45 Ft 6,607

15.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.93 Ft 624

-51.30%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-21.78%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-30.12%

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

$205 $205

$175 Ft 56.4K

17.55%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$23.62 Ft 7,631

115.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 $79.6

$23.60 Ft 7,625

237.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 $114

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

65.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$10.31 Ft 3,333

44.13%

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

$1,971 $1,971

$535 Ft 172.9K

268.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K $35.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

107.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-48.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 $56.0

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

29.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$112 Ft 36.1K

-18.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$119 Ft 38.4K

-4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$832 Ft 268.8K

196.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,078 $2,078

$629 Ft 203.3K

230.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,963 $2,963

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

86.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

121.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 $2,585

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-34.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,995 $4,995

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

191.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.45

5.27%

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

Last update for Ellicott City, MD: October 17, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ellicott City, MD

$2.1K 60.1%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 69.7% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Ellicott City, MD

$436 12.6%

Budapest

$262 16% 39.9% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ellicott City, MD

$336 9.7%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 33.9% $114

Eating Out

Ellicott City, MD

$315 9.1%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 28.1% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Ellicott City, MD

$144 4.2%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 37.8% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ellicott City, MD

$140 4.1%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 20.2% $28

Getting Around

Ellicott City, MD

$8.5 * 0.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 419% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,470 in Ellicott City, MD 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 192% higher in Ellicott City, MD, 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 $96.0 in Ellicott City, MD versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $436 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ellicott City, MD

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

23:52 11:52 PM

6 h ahead of Ellicott City, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,834

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 →

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Between locations

Ellicott City, MD Budapest 7,290 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ellicott City, MD
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

Ellicott City, MD vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ellicott City, MD is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,184 per month in Ellicott City, MD 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 $96.0 in Ellicott City, MD 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 66% more in Ellicott City, MD, 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 Ellicott City, MD at $3,456. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ellicott City, MD 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, Ellicott City, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.