Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hungary and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Hungary: $1,361 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Hungary
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Hungary Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,361

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hungary and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hungary and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,361 per month in Hungary vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Hungary $1,361
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $2,095 per month in Hungary vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Hungary $2,095
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $2,830 per month in Hungary vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Hungary $2,830
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Hungary ($1,015–$1,638), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Hungary is roughly 50% lower than in the United States on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.28 Ft 4,034

$20.03 $20.03

-38.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 Ft 17.7K

$80.0 $80.0

-32.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 Ft 3,059

$11.80 $11.80

-21.10%

Cappuccino

$2.57 Ft 845

$5.55 $5.55

-53.69%

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

$1.76 Ft 579

$2.66 $2.66

-33.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 Ft 452

$2.17 $2.17

-36.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Ft 896

$6.12 $6.12

-55.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 Ft 877

$7.94 $7.94

-66.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 Ft 396

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 Ft 513

$3.59 $3.59

-56.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 Ft 752

$4.52 $4.52

-49.34%

Eggs

$3.50 Ft 1,148

$4.28 $4.28

-18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 Ft 3,448

$13.22 $13.22

-20.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 Ft 2,116

$12.60 $12.60

-48.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 Ft 4,704

$17.60 $17.60

-18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 660

$5.30 $5.30

-62.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 Ft 696

$1.69 $1.69

25.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 Ft 699

$4.44 $4.44

-52.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 Ft 1,105

$4.77 $4.77

-29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 Ft 343

$2.97 $2.97

-64.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 389

$3.15 $3.15

-62.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 Ft 492

$2.20 $2.20

-31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 Ft 193

$2.35 $2.35

-74.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.74 Ft 2,544

$10.98 $10.98

-29.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 Ft 1,677

$15.05 $15.05

-66.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Ft 393

$2.06 $2.06

-41.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 Ft 633

$3.79 $3.79

-49.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 Ft 457

$1.94 $1.94

-28.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 Ft 8,851

$59.4 $59.4

-54.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 Ft 1,123

$3.58 $3.58

-4.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 Ft 456

$1.88 $1.88

-26.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.45 Ft 6,060

$29.84 $29.84

-38.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 Ft 621

$1.02 $1.02

85.29%

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

$27.7K Ft 9.1M

$28.8K $28.8K

-3.80%

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

$34.3K Ft 11.3M

$26.2K $26.2K

31.01%

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

$160 Ft 52.5K

$218 $218

-26.71%

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

$25.56 Ft 8,398

$62.5 $62.5

-59.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.47 Ft 7,381

$74.5 $74.5

-69.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 Ft 17.4K

$41.86 $41.86

26.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.16 Ft 5,307

$22.81 $22.81

-29.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 Ft 2,870

$14.70 $14.70

-40.54%

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

$399 Ft 130.9K

$1,489 $1,489

-73.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K Ft 3.6M

$25.3K $25.3K

-56.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 Ft 28.6K

$54.3 $54.3

60.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 Ft 11.7K

$42.71 $42.71

-16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 Ft 30.8K

$94.1 $94.1

-0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 Ft 31.9K

$114 $114

-14.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 Ft 196.4K

$1,659 $1,659

-63.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 Ft 153.0K

$1,348 $1,348

-65.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 Ft 341.6K

$2,682 $2,682

-61.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 Ft 265.7K

$2,169 $2,169

-62.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,668 Ft 1.2M

$3,283 $3,283

11.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,683 Ft 881.5K

$2,482 $2,482

8.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,290 Ft 423.6K

$4,296 $4,296

-69.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.15

6.55

9.16%

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

Last update for Hungary: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hungary

$466 34.2%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 189% $882

Groceries & Markets

Hungary

$244 17.9%

United States

$415 15.2% 70.1% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hungary

$208 15.3%

United States

$355 13% 70.8% $147

Eating Out

Hungary

$189 13.9%

United States

$328 12% 73.9% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Hungary

$141 10.4%

United States

$137 5% 2.9% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Hungary

$71 5.2%

United States

$71 2.6% 1% $0.7

Getting Around

Hungary

$43 3.2%

United States

$80 2.9% 86.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $511 in Hungary vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $836 in Budapest and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $1,184 in Hungary vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 217% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 44% more in the United States.

Public transport is 142% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 3.8 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Hungary

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

09:13 9:13 AM

5 h behind Hungary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,599,744

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 328 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hungary United States 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hungary
United States

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

Hungary vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hungary is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 50% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $511 in Hungary.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Hungary – part of why living there is about 50% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Hungary, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Hungary is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.