Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Independence, KS and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $1,974 in Independence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Independence, KS
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Independence, KS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Independence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,974

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,974 per month in Independence, KS vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Independence, KS $1,974
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,922 per month in Independence, KS vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Independence, KS $2,922
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,870 per month in Independence, KS vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Independence, KS $3,870
Budapest $3,429

Independence, KS costs about 22% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Independence, KS and Budapest sit above the global median – Independence, KS by 46%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$13.94 Ft 4,503

40.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 $11.23

$10.19 Ft 3,291

10.21%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$3.26 Ft 1,055

58.59%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.14 Ft 690

21.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.78 Ft 577

15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.71 Ft 1,198

60.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 $7.46

$3.77 Ft 1,217

97.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.15 Ft 371

-12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.79 Ft 578

96.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.49 Ft 804

66.27%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$3.90 Ft 1,261

9.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$11.10 Ft 3,587

10.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 $10.48

$6.62 Ft 2,139

58.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 $17.23

$14.69 Ft 4,745

17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.83 Ft 591

181.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.05 Ft 661

-23.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.37 Ft 765

103.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$3.90 Ft 1,260

28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.99 Ft 320

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.00 Ft 322

178.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.58 Ft 511

36.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.67 Ft 216

277.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.32 $9.32

$7.96 Ft 2,572

17.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$6.22 Ft 2,009

137.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.27 Ft 411

59.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.03 Ft 654

62.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.52 Ft 490

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.31 Ft 1,070

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.37 Ft 442

25.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.62 $25.62

$19.83 Ft 6,406

29.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.82 Ft 589

-45.60%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

19.04%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-23.47%

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

$203 $203

$171 Ft 55.3K

18.76%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$23.51 Ft 7,596

143.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$23.29 Ft 7,526

205.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 $41.43

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-38.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$9.30 Ft 3,004

47.63%

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

$1,424 $1,424

$533 Ft 172.3K

167.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

32.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-47.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.65 $46.65

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

7.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 $89.0

$110 Ft 35.7K

-19.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$119 Ft 38.4K

-2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$830 Ft 268.3K

95.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 $702

$622 Ft 200.9K

12.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,472 $2,472

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

55.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 $1,071

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-8.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,763 $2,763

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-52.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,454 $2,454

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-36.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,296 $5,296

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

220.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.45

1.86%

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

Last update for Independence, KS: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Independence, KS

$702 35.6%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 11.4% $80

Groceries & Markets

Independence, KS

$397 20.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 35% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Independence, KS

$332 16.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 34.3% $114

Eating Out

Independence, KS

$316 16%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 29.5% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Independence, KS

$137 7%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 22.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Independence, KS

$69 3.5%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 25% $17

Getting Around

Independence, KS

$21 * 1.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 110% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,621 in Independence, KS versus $830 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 221% higher in Independence, KS, 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 $75.0 in Independence, KS versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Independence, KS

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

7 h ahead of Independence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,213

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Independence, KS Budapest 8,590 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Independence, KS
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

Independence, KS vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Independence, KS is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,961 per month in Independence, KS and $2,428 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 $75.0 in Independence, KS 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 54% more in Independence, KS, 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 $1,619, than in Independence, KS at $1,974. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Independence, KS 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, Independence, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.