Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hartsville, SC and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,849 in Hartsville, SC, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hartsville, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,849
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Hartsville, SC vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Hartsville, SC $2,849
  • Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,340 per month in Hartsville, SC vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Hartsville, SC $4,340
  • Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,831 per month in Hartsville, SC vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Hartsville, SC $5,831
  • Budapest $3,489

Hartsville, SC costs about 76% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hartsville, SC and Budapest sit above the global median – Hartsville, SC by 113%, Budapest by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.14 $20.14
$13.99 Ft 4,551
43.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$133 $133
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
119.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$9.96 Ft 3,241
21.18%
Cappuccino
$5.89 $5.89
$3.38 Ft 1,100
74.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 $2.99
$2.13 Ft 692
40.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.87 Ft 608
22.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.65 $6.65
$3.75 Ft 1,221
77.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.15 $8.15
$3.57 Ft 1,162
128.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.13 Ft 368
2.65%
White Bread (500g)
$4.05 $4.05
$1.84 Ft 599
120.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.68 $4.68
$2.39 Ft 777
95.82%
Eggs
$5.38 $5.38
$3.83 Ft 1,245
40.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.14 $23.14
$11.33 Ft 3,686
104.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.45 $14.45
$6.74 Ft 2,192
114.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.42 $20.42
$14.69 Ft 4,780
39.01%
Apples (1kg)
$8.22 $8.22
$1.84 Ft 597
346.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 $1.84
$2.01 Ft 653
-8.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.18 $5.18
$2.36 Ft 767
119.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.79 $6.79
$3.77 Ft 1,226
80.11%
Potato (1kg)
$4.97 $4.97
$0.96 Ft 313
417.71%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 $3.69
$1.03 Ft 334
258.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.77 $2.77
$1.56 Ft 509
77.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.35 $3.35
$0.66 Ft 216
407.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.14 $10.14
$7.96 Ft 2,591
27.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.28 $20.28
$6.01 Ft 1,954
237.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 $2.86
$1.30 Ft 421
120.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$2.08 Ft 676
40.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.50 Ft 489
39.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.61 Ft 8,982
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 $3.07
$3.30 Ft 1,074
-6.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.30 Ft 424
-2.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.48 $32.48
$19.78 Ft 6,436
64.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.81 Ft 591
-44.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K $35.5K
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
21.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K $24.9K
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
-27.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$228 $228
$170 Ft 55.3K
34.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$78.5 $78.5
$23.98 Ft 7,802
227.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$83.4 $83.4
$23.42 Ft 7,621
255.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.27 $47.27
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
-28.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.18 Ft 6,239
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.07 $14.07
$9.52 Ft 3,098
47.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,284 $1,284
$537 Ft 174.6K
139.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.4K $27.4K
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
65.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.9 $76.9
$101 Ft 33.0K
-24.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.13 $47.13
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
9.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$113 Ft 36.7K
-1.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 $138
$119 Ft 38.6K
15.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,570 $1,570
$805 Ft 262.0K
94.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,289 $1,289
$629 Ft 204.7K
104.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,539 $2,539
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
63.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,179 $2,179
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
86.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,563 $2,563
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
-54.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,181 $2,181
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
-45.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hartsville, SC
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
6.43
1.24%

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

Last update for Hartsville, SC: 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
Hartsville, SC
$1.3K
Budapest
$629 51.2% $660
Groceries & Markets
Hartsville, SC
$536
Budapest
$258 52% $279
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hartsville, SC
$390
Budapest
$217 44.2% $172
Eating Out
Hartsville, SC
$339
Budapest
$224 33.8% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Hartsville, SC
$168
Budapest
$169 0.9% $1.5
Sport & Entertainment
Hartsville, SC
$75
Budapest
$85 13.1% $9.9
Getting Around
Hartsville, SC
$18 *
Budapest
$43 144% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,570 in Hartsville, SC 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $133 in Hartsville, SC versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $536 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Hartsville, SC
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
01:03 1:03 AM
07:03 7:03 AM
6 h ahead of Hartsville, SC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,500
1,686,222 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hartsville, SC Budapest 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hartsville, SC
  • 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
Hartsville, SC vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Hartsville, SC?
Yes – Hartsville, SC is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,274 per month in Hartsville, SC and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Hartsville, SC or in Budapest?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $133 in Hartsville, SC and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Hartsville, SC and in Budapest?
Groceries cost about 108% more in Hartsville, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Hartsville, SC or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Hartsville, SC at $2,849. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hartsville, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Hartsville, SC or Budapest more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Hartsville, SC or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hartsville, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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