Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Collins, CO and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,758 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,758

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,758 per month in Fort Collins, CO vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Fort Collins, CO $2,758
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,111 per month in Fort Collins, CO vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Fort Collins, CO $4,111
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,464 per month in Fort Collins, CO vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Fort Collins, CO $5,464
Budapest $3,489

Fort Collins, CO costs about 70% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fort Collins, CO and Budapest sit above the global median – Fort Collins, CO by 106%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.70 $22.70

$13.99 Ft 4,551

62.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

33.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.26 $11.26

$9.96 Ft 3,241

13.05%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$3.38 Ft 1,100

82.54%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.13 Ft 692

14.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.87 Ft 608

10.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.75 Ft 1,221

85.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.57 Ft 1,162

95.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.13 Ft 368

-13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.84 Ft 599

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.39 Ft 777

14.64%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$3.83 Ft 1,245

10.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 $10.88

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-3.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$6.74 Ft 2,192

41.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.30 $19.30

$14.69 Ft 4,780

31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$1.84 Ft 597

168.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.01 Ft 653

-22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.36 Ft 767

97.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$3.77 Ft 1,226

40.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$0.96 Ft 313

257.29%

Onion (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.03 Ft 334

342.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.56 Ft 509

49.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.66 Ft 216

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$7.96 Ft 2,591

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 $16.52

$6.01 Ft 1,954

174.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.30 Ft 421

92.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.08 Ft 676

30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-26.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.30 Ft 424

46.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.40 $25.40

$19.78 Ft 6,436

28.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.81 Ft 591

-44.20%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

22.75%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-26.53%

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

$213 $213

$170 Ft 55.3K

25.45%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$23.98 Ft 7,802

138.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$23.42 Ft 7,621

194.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-16.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 $29.66

$19.18 Ft 6,239

54.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 $11.98

$9.52 Ft 3,098

25.84%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$537 Ft 174.6K

141.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K $12.7K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-23.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$101 Ft 33.0K

-40.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 $69.9

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

62.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$113 Ft 36.7K

-29.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$119 Ft 38.6K

-1.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 $1,851

$805 Ft 262.0K

129.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 $1,427

$629 Ft 204.7K

126.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 $2,733

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

76.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,484 $2,484

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

112.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,012 $3,012

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-46.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,034 $3,034

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-23.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,352 $4,352

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

167.68%

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 Fort Collins, CO: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Collins, CO

$1.4K 52%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 55.9% $798

Groceries & Markets

Fort Collins, CO

$386 14.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 33.3% $128

Eating Out

Fort Collins, CO

$356 13%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 37% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Collins, CO

$339 12.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 35.9% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Collins, CO

$147 5.4%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 15.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Collins, CO

$80 2.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 7.2% $5.8

Getting Around

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 263% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,851 in Fort Collins, CO 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 168% higher in Fort Collins, CO, 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 $81.0 in Fort Collins, CO versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

07:35 7:35 AM

8 h ahead of Fort Collins, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,612

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

Fort Collins, CO Budapest 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Collins, CO
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

Fort Collins, CO vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fort Collins, CO is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,137 per month in Fort Collins, CO 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Fort Collins, CO and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Fort Collins, CO, 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 $1,621, than in Fort Collins, CO at $2,758. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Collins, CO 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, Fort Collins, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.