Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hagerstown, MD and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,506 in Hagerstown, MD, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

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

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Hagerstown, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,506

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,506 per month in Hagerstown, MD vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Hagerstown, MD $2,506
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Hagerstown, MD vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Hagerstown, MD $3,672
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,837 per month in Hagerstown, MD vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Hagerstown, MD $4,837
Budapest $3,489

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.89 $14.89

$13.99 Ft 4,551

6.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

24.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 $11.01

$9.96 Ft 3,241

10.54%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$3.38 Ft 1,100

78.40%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.13 Ft 692

3.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.87 Ft 608

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.75 Ft 1,221

68.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.48 $8.48

$3.57 Ft 1,162

137.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.13 Ft 368

-23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.84 Ft 599

122.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.39 Ft 777

89.12%

Eggs

$3.70 $3.70

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-3.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-37.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.47 $13.47

$6.74 Ft 2,192

99.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.17 $23.17

$14.69 Ft 4,780

57.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.84 Ft 597

139.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.01 Ft 653

-46.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.36 Ft 767

72.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-28.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.96 Ft 313

148.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.03 Ft 334

264.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.56 Ft 509

44.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.66 Ft 216

289.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$7.96 Ft 2,591

30.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$6.01 Ft 1,954

150.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.30 Ft 421

113.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.08 Ft 676

36.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 $60.1

$27.61 Ft 8,982

117.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.30 Ft 1,074

23.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.30 Ft 424

-3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.97 $24.97

$19.78 Ft 6,436

26.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.81 Ft 591

-49.17%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

17.60%

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

$23.5K $23.5K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-30.98%

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

$161 $161

$170 Ft 55.3K

-5.35%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$23.98 Ft 7,802

119.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 $62.8

$23.42 Ft 7,621

168.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 $50.4

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-23.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.07 $18.07

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-5.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 $9.94

$9.52 Ft 3,098

4.41%

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

$1,567 $1,567

$537 Ft 174.6K

191.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,892 $9,892

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-40.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-45.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.74 $19.74

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-54.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 $97.0

$113 Ft 36.7K

-13.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$119 Ft 38.6K

34.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 $1,375

$805 Ft 262.0K

70.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 $1,220

$629 Ft 204.7K

93.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,948 $1,948

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

25.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 $1,936

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

65.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,024 $2,024

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-63.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,995 $1,995

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-49.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

230.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.43

0.93%

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

Last update for Hagerstown, MD: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hagerstown, MD

$1.2K 49.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 48.4% $591

Groceries & Markets

Hagerstown, MD

$403 16.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 36.1% $145

Eating Out

Hagerstown, MD

$291 11.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 22.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hagerstown, MD

$276 11.1%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 21.3% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Hagerstown, MD

$150 6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 13.1% $20

Getting Around

Hagerstown, MD

$70 * 2.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 38.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Hagerstown, MD

$70 2.8%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 21.3% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,375 in Hagerstown, 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 231% higher in Hagerstown, 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 $75.0 in Hagerstown, MD versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hagerstown, MD

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

6 h ahead of Hagerstown, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,008

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 →

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Between locations

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

From you

Hagerstown, 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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,759 per month in Hagerstown, 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.

Public transport costs about 118% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,567 per month in Hagerstown, MD and $537 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 $1,621, than in Hagerstown, MD at $2,506. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hagerstown, 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, Hagerstown, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.