Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highlands Ranch, CO and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

161

Cost of Living Index in Highlands Ranch, CO
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Highlands Ranch, CO Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Highlands Ranch, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,365

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,365 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $3,365
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $2,987 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $2,987
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,609 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $2,609
Budapest $3,483

Highlands Ranch, CO costs about 105% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Highlands Ranch, CO and Budapest sit above the global median – Highlands Ranch, CO by 148%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$14.04 Ft 4,536

8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

30.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 $10.20

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-1.64%

Cappuccino

$6.26 $6.26

$3.46 Ft 1,117

80.92%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$2.07 Ft 669

19.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.77 Ft 572

20.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.69 Ft 1,191

37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.80 Ft 1,229

61.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.16 Ft 374

-10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.85 Ft 598

56.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.40 Ft 776

16.67%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.99 Ft 1,289

7.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$6.87 Ft 2,221

4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 $19.01

$14.49 Ft 4,682

31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.88 Ft 607

114.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.14 Ft 693

-29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.30 Ft 744

111.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$4.04 Ft 1,304

30.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.02 Ft 329

253.92%

Onion (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$0.99 Ft 320

362.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.58 Ft 510

40.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.70 Ft 225

144.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$8.03 Ft 2,594

29.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.42 $16.42

$6.18 Ft 1,997

165.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.24 Ft 401

101.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.06 Ft 666

26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-27.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.33 Ft 431

42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$20.45 Ft 6,607

24.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.93 Ft 624

-47.15%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-3.90%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-25.29%

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

$215 $215

$175 Ft 56.4K

23.03%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$23.62 Ft 7,631

140.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$23.60 Ft 7,625

191.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 $11.99

$10.31 Ft 3,333

16.29%

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

$1,306 $1,306

$535 Ft 172.9K

144.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-27.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-39.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 $68.4

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

58.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 $78.5

$112 Ft 36.1K

-29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$119 Ft 38.4K

-0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,864 $2,864

$832 Ft 268.8K

244.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$629 Ft 203.3K

248.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,275 $7,275

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

324.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.45

3.88%

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

Last update for Highlands Ranch, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Highlands Ranch, CO

$2.2K 65.1%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 71.3% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Highlands Ranch, CO

$368 10.9%

Budapest

$262 16% 28.9% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highlands Ranch, CO

$340 10.1%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 34.8% $119

Eating Out

Highlands Ranch, CO

$284 8.4%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 20.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Highlands Ranch, CO

$146 4.4%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 15% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Highlands Ranch, CO

$24 * 0.7%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 273% $66

Getting Around

Highlands Ranch, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 268% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,864 in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 325% higher in Highlands Ranch, CO, 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 $80.0 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highlands Ranch, CO

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

19:20 7:20 PM

03:20 3:20 AM

8 h ahead of Highlands Ranch, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

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Between locations

Highlands Ranch, CO Budapest 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Highlands Ranch, CO
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

Highlands Ranch, CO vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Highlands Ranch, CO is pricier by about 105%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,047 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 $80.0 in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 41% more in Highlands Ranch, CO, 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 Highlands Ranch, CO at $3,365. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highlands Ranch, CO 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, Highlands Ranch, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.