Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glendale, AZ and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,173 in Glendale, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, AZ
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Glendale, AZ Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Glendale, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,173 per month in Glendale, AZ vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Glendale, AZ $2,173
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,425 per month in Glendale, AZ vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Glendale, AZ $3,425
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,676 per month in Glendale, AZ vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Glendale, AZ $4,676
Budapest $3,429

Glendale, AZ costs about 34% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Glendale, AZ and Budapest sit above the global median – Glendale, AZ by 61%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.13 $15.13

$13.94 Ft 4,503

8.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 $62.1

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

1.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.45 $12.45

$10.19 Ft 3,291

22.18%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.26 Ft 1,055

65.03%

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

$2.17 $2.17

$2.14 Ft 690

1.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.78 Ft 577

10.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$3.71 Ft 1,198

91.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 $7.21

$3.77 Ft 1,217

91.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.15 Ft 371

-16.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.79 Ft 578

81.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.49 Ft 804

105.22%

Eggs

$4.54 $4.54

$3.90 Ft 1,261

16.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 $13.36

$11.10 Ft 3,587

20.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$6.62 Ft 2,139

70.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.92 $16.92

$14.69 Ft 4,745

15.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.83 Ft 591

149.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.05 Ft 661

-8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.37 Ft 765

66.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.90 Ft 1,260

5.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.99 Ft 320

147.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.00 Ft 322

191.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.58 Ft 511

34.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.67 Ft 216

213.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.47 $10.47

$7.96 Ft 2,572

31.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 $13.35

$6.22 Ft 2,009

114.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.27 Ft 411

39.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.03 Ft 654

84.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.52 Ft 490

34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-17.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.37 Ft 442

-2.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.46 $35.46

$19.83 Ft 6,406

78.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.82 Ft 589

-43.96%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

21.15%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-23.26%

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

$194 $194

$171 Ft 55.3K

13.54%

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

$48.28 $48.28

$23.51 Ft 7,596

105.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$23.29 Ft 7,526

185.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.52 $34.52

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-48.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 $9.95

$9.30 Ft 3,004

6.99%

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

$1,089 $1,089

$533 Ft 172.3K

104.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-5.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-45.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 $42.94

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$110 Ft 35.7K

-20.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$119 Ft 38.4K

-13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 $1,360

$830 Ft 268.3K

63.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$622 Ft 200.9K

58.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 $2,469

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

54.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

79.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,716 $3,716

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

125.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.23

6.45

-3.41%

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

Last update for Glendale, AZ: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glendale, AZ

$985 45.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 36.9% $363

Groceries & Markets

Glendale, AZ

$388 17.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 33.6% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glendale, AZ

$309 14.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 29.5% $91

Eating Out

Glendale, AZ

$289 13.3%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 23% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Glendale, AZ

$130 6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 29% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Glendale, AZ

$54 2.5%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 58.3% $32

Getting Around

Glendale, AZ

$18 * 0.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 152% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,360 in Glendale, AZ versus $830 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 125% higher in Glendale, AZ, 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 $62.0 in Glendale, AZ versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Glendale, AZ

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

20:08 8:08 PM

9 h ahead of Glendale, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,831

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Glendale, AZ Budapest 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Glendale, AZ vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Glendale, AZ is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,260 per month in Glendale, AZ and $2,428 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 $62.0 in Glendale, AZ 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 51% more in Glendale, AZ, 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 $1,619, than in Glendale, AZ at $2,173. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glendale, AZ 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, Glendale, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.