Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, MT and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,151 in Hamilton, MT, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton, MT
Learn more

Hamilton, MT Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamilton, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,151

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,151 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Hamilton, MT $2,151
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Hamilton, MT $3,548
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,944 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Hamilton, MT $4,944
Budapest $3,483

Hamilton, MT costs about 31% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamilton, MT and Budapest sit above the global median – Hamilton, MT by 59%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.24 $37.24

$14.04 Ft 4,536

165.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 $68.6

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

12.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 $11.45

$10.37 Ft 3,351

10.41%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$3.46 Ft 1,117

52.02%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.07 Ft 669

30.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.77 Ft 572

13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.69 Ft 1,191

64.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.80 Ft 1,229

89.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.16 Ft 374

-7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.85 Ft 598

87.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.40 Ft 776

63.75%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.99 Ft 1,289

7.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$11.40 Ft 3,683

23.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 $12.10

$6.87 Ft 2,221

76.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$14.49 Ft 4,682

12.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$1.88 Ft 607

226.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.14 Ft 693

-38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.30 Ft 744

88.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.04 Ft 1,304

17.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.02 Ft 329

155.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$0.99 Ft 320

185.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.58 Ft 510

37.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.70 Ft 225

242.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 $10.30

$8.03 Ft 2,594

28.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$6.18 Ft 1,997

138.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.24 Ft 401

54.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.06 Ft 666

78.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.59 Ft 513

26.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-4.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.33 Ft 431

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.65 $33.65

$20.45 Ft 6,607

64.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.93 Ft 624

-47.15%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-12.69%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-26.12%

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

$201 $201

$175 Ft 56.4K

15.04%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$23.62 Ft 7,631

149.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.0 $89.0

$23.60 Ft 7,625

277.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 $41.62

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-39.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 $12.05

$10.31 Ft 3,333

16.88%

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

$1,308 $1,308

$535 Ft 172.9K

144.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K $25.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

51.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-47.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.30 $46.30

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

7.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 $90.0

$112 Ft 36.1K

-19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$119 Ft 38.4K

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 $1,147

$832 Ft 268.8K

37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 $717

$629 Ft 203.3K

13.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,378 $2,378

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

49.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

52.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,306 $2,306

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-59.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-39.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 $3,556

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

107.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.29

6.45

13.02%

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

Last update for Hamilton, MT: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton, MT

$717 33.3%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 12.2% $87

Eating Out

Hamilton, MT

$459 21.3%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 50.7% $233

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton, MT

$407 18.9%

Budapest

$262 16% 35.6% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton, MT

$349 16.2%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 36.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton, MT

$136 6.3%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 24% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton, MT

$66 3.1%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 36.2% $24

Getting Around

Hamilton, MT

$19 * 0.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 131% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,147 in Hamilton, MT 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 108% higher in Hamilton, MT, 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 $69.0 in Hamilton, MT versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hamilton, MT

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

11:29 11:29 AM

8 h ahead of Hamilton, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,447

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamilton, MT Budapest 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton, MT
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

Hamilton, MT vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hamilton, MT is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,227 per month in Hamilton, MT 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Hamilton, MT 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 55% more in Hamilton, MT, 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 $1,641, than in Hamilton, MT at $2,151. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamilton, MT 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, Hamilton, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.