Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,026 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,026

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,026 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Fargo, ND $2,026
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,226 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Fargo, ND $3,226
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Fargo, ND vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Fargo, ND $4,426
Budapest $3,483

Fargo, ND costs about 23% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fargo, ND and Budapest sit above the global median – Fargo, ND by 49%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$14.04 Ft 4,536

22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-0.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 $11.73

$10.37 Ft 3,351

13.11%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.46 Ft 1,117

48.84%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$2.07 Ft 669

24.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.77 Ft 572

15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 $5.34

$3.69 Ft 1,191

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$3.80 Ft 1,229

140.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.16 Ft 374

9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.85 Ft 598

90.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$2.40 Ft 776

213.33%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$3.99 Ft 1,289

1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$11.40 Ft 3,683

29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$6.87 Ft 2,221

125.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 $21.19

$14.49 Ft 4,682

46.24%

Apples (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$1.88 Ft 607

459.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.14 Ft 693

10.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$2.30 Ft 744

186.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.04 Ft 1,304

34.65%

Potato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.02 Ft 329

377.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$0.99 Ft 320

284.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.58 Ft 510

27.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.70 Ft 225

274.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.77 $8.77

$8.03 Ft 2,594

9.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.54 $18.54

$6.18 Ft 1,997

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.24 Ft 401

104.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.06 Ft 666

164.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.59 Ft 513

-7.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 $41.33

$27.52 Ft 8,893

50.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.43 Ft 1,110

31.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.93 Ft 624

-49.22%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-7.46%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-25.50%

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

$136 $136

$175 Ft 56.4K

-22.23%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$23.62 Ft 7,631

146.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 $57.3

$23.60 Ft 7,625

142.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 $57.1

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-17.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$10.31 Ft 3,333

33.75%

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

$1,244 $1,244

$535 Ft 172.9K

132.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-48.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 $45.99

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

6.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$112 Ft 36.1K

-24.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$119 Ft 38.4K

-13.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$832 Ft 268.8K

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$629 Ft 203.3K

9.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 $2,252

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

41.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

21.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,898 $1,898

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-66.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,673 $1,673

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-57.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 $3,824

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

123.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.45

-0.31%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 20, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fargo, ND

$689 34%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 8.7% $60

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 25.8%

Budapest

$262 16% 49.9% $261

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$299 14.7%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 24.2% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$251 12.4%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 11.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$128 6.3%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 31.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$85 4.2%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 5.6% $4.8

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$52 * 2.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 15% $7.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Fargo, ND 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 123% higher in Fargo, ND, 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 $61.0 in Fargo, ND versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $522 in Fargo, ND vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

09:33 9:33 AM

7 h ahead of Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Fargo, ND Budapest 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, ND
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

Fargo, ND vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fargo, ND is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,038 per month in Fargo, ND 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 50% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,244 per month in Fargo, ND 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 Fargo, ND at $2,026. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND 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, Fargo, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.