Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frederick, MD and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,509 in Frederick, MD, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Frederick, MD
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Frederick, MD Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Frederick, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,509

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,509 per month in Frederick, MD vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Frederick, MD $2,509
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,974 per month in Frederick, MD vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Frederick, MD $3,974
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,438 per month in Frederick, MD vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Frederick, MD $5,438
Budapest $3,489

Frederick, MD costs about 55% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Frederick, MD and Budapest sit above the global median – Frederick, MD by 87%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$13.99 Ft 4,551

30.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 $93.7

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

55.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$9.96 Ft 3,241

0.70%

Cappuccino

$4.64 $4.64

$3.38 Ft 1,100

37.28%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.13 Ft 692

45.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.87 Ft 608

2.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.75 Ft 1,221

59.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 $7.38

$3.57 Ft 1,162

106.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.13 Ft 368

-11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.84 Ft 599

148.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.39 Ft 777

84.94%

Eggs

$3.74 $3.74

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$11.33 Ft 3,686

15.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$6.74 Ft 2,192

68.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 $14.96

$14.69 Ft 4,780

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$1.84 Ft 597

201.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.01 Ft 653

-21.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.36 Ft 767

92.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.77 Ft 1,226

51.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$0.96 Ft 313

245.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.03 Ft 334

278.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.56 Ft 509

115.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.66 Ft 216

254.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$7.96 Ft 2,591

34.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.68 $16.68

$6.01 Ft 1,954

177.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.30 Ft 421

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.08 Ft 676

40.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.30 Ft 1,074

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.30 Ft 424

-2.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.41 $25.41

$19.78 Ft 6,436

28.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.81 Ft 591

-44.20%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

9.53%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-28.32%

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

$105 $105

$170 Ft 55.3K

-37.98%

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

$47.50 $47.50

$23.98 Ft 7,802

98.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$23.42 Ft 7,621

159.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.61 $41.61

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-37.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 $14.68

$9.52 Ft 3,098

54.20%

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

$1,589 $1,589

$537 Ft 174.6K

196.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.7K $35.7K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

114.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.01 $37.01

$101 Ft 33.0K

-63.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.06 $36.06

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-16.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 $96.9

$113 Ft 36.7K

-14.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$119 Ft 38.6K

-15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 $1,744

$805 Ft 262.0K

116.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 $1,439

$629 Ft 204.7K

128.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,128 $3,128

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

101.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,791 $2,791

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

139.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,529 $2,529

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-54.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,186 $2,186

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-44.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,875 $4,875

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

199.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.43

-5.13%

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

Last update for Frederick, MD: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frederick, MD

$1.4K 55.9%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 56.3% $810

Groceries & Markets

Frederick, MD

$420 16.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 38.7% $163

Eating Out

Frederick, MD

$297 11.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 24.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frederick, MD

$214 8.3%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 1.7% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Frederick, MD

$121 4.7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 39.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Frederick, MD

$71 2.8%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 20.2% $14

Getting Around

Frederick, MD

$10 * 0.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 321% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,744 in Frederick, MD 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 200% higher in Frederick, 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 $94.0 in Frederick, MD versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Frederick, MD

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

04:47 4:47 AM

6 h ahead of Frederick, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,237

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 11, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Frederick, MD Budapest 7,320 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Frederick, 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

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

Yes – Frederick, MD is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,763 per month in Frederick, MD 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 $94.0 in Frederick, MD 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 63% more in Frederick, 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 $1,621, than in Frederick, MD at $2,509. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Frederick, 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, Frederick, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.