Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islip, NY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Islip, NY: $1,268 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Islip, NY
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Islip, NY Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Islip, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,268

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,268 per month in Islip, NY vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Islip, NY $1,268
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,210 per month in Islip, NY vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Islip, NY $2,210
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,153 per month in Islip, NY vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Islip, NY $3,153
Budapest $3,429

Islip, NY is about 22% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Islip, NY sits 6% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.16 $26.16

$13.94 Ft 4,503

87.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

94.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.20 $14.20

$10.19 Ft 3,291

39.35%

Cappuccino

$5.27 $5.27

$3.26 Ft 1,055

61.66%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.14 Ft 690

36.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.78 Ft 577

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 $8.32

$3.71 Ft 1,198

124.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 $10.13

$3.77 Ft 1,217

168.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.15 Ft 371

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.79 Ft 578

149.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.49 Ft 804

72.29%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$3.90 Ft 1,261

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 $18.96

$11.10 Ft 3,587

70.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.69 $17.69

$6.62 Ft 2,139

167.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.64 $16.64

$14.69 Ft 4,745

13.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.83 Ft 591

132.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.05 Ft 661

-35.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.37 Ft 765

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-25.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.99 Ft 320

71.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.00 Ft 322

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.58 Ft 511

-1.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.67 Ft 216

67.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.19 $15.19

$7.96 Ft 2,572

90.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 $12.76

$6.22 Ft 2,009

105.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.27 Ft 411

88.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.03 Ft 654

92.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.52 Ft 490

197.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-7.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.37 Ft 442

60.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.03 $42.03

$19.83 Ft 6,406

111.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.82 Ft 589

-38.46%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

18.19%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-22.95%

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

$79.8 $79.8

$171 Ft 55.3K

-53.38%

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

$70.5 $70.5

$23.51 Ft 7,596

199.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$23.29 Ft 7,526

202.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 $59.4

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$9.30 Ft 3,004

73.44%

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

$3,352 $3,352

$533 Ft 172.3K

528.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$59.7K $59.7K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

256.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 $45.57

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-54.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.03 $27.03

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-37.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 $76.0

$110 Ft 35.7K

-31.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 $88.9

$119 Ft 38.4K

-25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$830 Ft 268.3K

143.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,391 $3,391

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

112.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,012 $4,012

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

142.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.45

2.79%

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

Last update for Islip, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Islip, NY

$418 33%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 38.3% $160

Eating Out

Islip, NY

$398 31.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 44% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islip, NY

$221 17.4%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 1.2% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Islip, NY

$107 8.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 56.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Islip, NY

$92 7.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 6.1% $5.6

Getting Around

Islip, NY

$32 * 2.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 37.6% $12

Accommodation & Living

Islip, NY

- * 0%

Budapest

$622 38.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,025 in Islip, NY 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 143% higher in Islip, NY, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in Islip, NY versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $418 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Islip, NY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

09:56 9:56 AM

6 h ahead of Islip, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

339,938

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Islip, NY Budapest 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Islip, NY
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

Islip, NY vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,901 per month in Islip, NY 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 Islip, NY, 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 $119 in Islip, NY and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 62% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Islip, NY, where all-in costs run around $1,268, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Islip, NY it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Islip, NY – 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 Islip, NY. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.