Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helena, MT and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,107 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,107

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,107 per month in Helena, MT vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Helena, MT $3,107
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,494 per month in Helena, MT vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Helena, MT $4,494
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,882 per month in Helena, MT vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Helena, MT $5,882
Budapest $3,489

Helena, MT costs about 92% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Helena, MT and Budapest sit above the global median – Helena, MT by 132%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 $21.52

$13.99 Ft 4,551

53.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

67.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 $17.96

$9.96 Ft 3,241

80.32%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.38 Ft 1,100

47.63%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.13 Ft 692

3.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.87 Ft 608

-8.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.75 Ft 1,221

31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.57 Ft 1,162

91.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.13 Ft 368

-5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.84 Ft 599

101.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.39 Ft 777

86.19%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$11.33 Ft 3,686

56.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$6.74 Ft 2,192

30.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.69 Ft 4,780

37.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.84 Ft 597

148.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.01 Ft 653

-9.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.36 Ft 767

95.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.77 Ft 1,226

5.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.96 Ft 313

123.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.03 Ft 334

49.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.56 Ft 509

5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.66 Ft 216

136.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 $10.39

$7.96 Ft 2,591

30.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 $12.78

$6.01 Ft 1,954

112.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.30 Ft 421

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.08 Ft 676

19.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.50 Ft 489

138.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$27.61 Ft 8,982

114.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 $10.03

$3.30 Ft 1,074

203.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.30 Ft 424

156.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.80 $44.80

$19.78 Ft 6,436

126.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.81 Ft 591

-45.30%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

22.96%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-8.84%

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

$369 $369

$170 Ft 55.3K

117.24%

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

$68.1 $68.1

$23.98 Ft 7,802

184.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.0 $93.0

$23.42 Ft 7,621

297.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 $52.0

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-21.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.90 $14.90

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-22.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 $12.19

$9.52 Ft 3,098

28.05%

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

$1,962 $1,962

$537 Ft 174.6K

265.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

66.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$101 Ft 33.0K

-35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 $120

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

179.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$113 Ft 36.7K

-28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$119 Ft 38.6K

2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 $1,756

$805 Ft 262.0K

118.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 $1,547

$629 Ft 204.7K

145.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

89.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 $2,450

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

109.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,548 $3,548

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-36.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,944 $2,944

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-25.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,710 $6,710

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

312.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.43

2.02%

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

Last update for Helena, MT: 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

Helena, MT

$1.5K 49.1%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 59.3% $918

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helena, MT

$530 16.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 59% $313

Groceries & Markets

Helena, MT

$384 12.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 32.9% $126

Eating Out

Helena, MT

$340 10.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 34% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Helena, MT

$175 5.5%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 3.1% $5.4

Getting Around

Helena, MT

$100 3.2%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 56.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Helena, MT

$76 2.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 11.6% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,756 in Helena, MT 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 313% higher in Helena, 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 $101 in Helena, MT versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

07:09 7:09 AM

8 h ahead of Helena, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,091

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 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

Helena, MT Budapest 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Helena, 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

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

Yes – Helena, MT is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,661 per month in Helena, MT 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 114% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,962 per month in Helena, MT 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 Helena, MT at $3,107. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Helena, 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, Helena, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.