Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ithaca, NY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

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

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,941

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,941 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $2,941
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $3,792
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,642 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $4,642
Budapest $3,429

Ithaca, NY costs about 82% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ithaca, NY and Budapest sit above the global median – Ithaca, NY by 118%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$13.94 Ft 4,503

58.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

32.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 $11.22

$10.19 Ft 3,291

10.11%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.26 Ft 1,055

54.60%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$2.14 Ft 690

25.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.78 Ft 577

14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.71 Ft 1,198

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 $9.29

$3.77 Ft 1,217

146.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.15 Ft 371

-12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.79 Ft 578

86.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$2.49 Ft 804

189.16%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$3.90 Ft 1,261

5.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$11.10 Ft 3,587

29.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$6.62 Ft 2,139

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$14.69 Ft 4,745

4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.83 Ft 591

158.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.05 Ft 661

-17.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.37 Ft 765

129.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.90 Ft 1,260

20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$0.99 Ft 320

230.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.00 Ft 322

258.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.58 Ft 511

46.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.67 Ft 216

207.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$7.96 Ft 2,572

14.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 $14.03

$6.22 Ft 2,009

125.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.27 Ft 411

44.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.03 Ft 654

89.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.52 Ft 490

28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.65 $45.65

$28.02 Ft 9,053

62.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.31 Ft 1,070

51.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.37 Ft 442

3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 $29.94

$19.83 Ft 6,406

50.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.82 Ft 589

-41.76%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

22.04%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-25.97%

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

$164 $164

$171 Ft 55.3K

-4.02%

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

$47.70 $47.70

$23.51 Ft 7,596

102.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$23.29 Ft 7,526

118.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 $35.26

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-47.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 $10.84

$9.30 Ft 3,004

16.56%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$533 Ft 172.3K

174.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

0.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 $46.46

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-53.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 $40.18

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-7.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$110 Ft 35.7K

-28.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$119 Ft 38.4K

-10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$830 Ft 268.3K

162.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$622 Ft 200.9K

175.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

71.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

57.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 $2,196

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-62.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-44.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,464 $3,464

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

109.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.45

0.16%

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

Last update for Ithaca, NY: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 58.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 63.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Ithaca, NY

$387 13.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 33.3% $129

Eating Out

Ithaca, NY

$333 11.3%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 33.1% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ithaca, NY

$263 8.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 17.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Ithaca, NY

$122 4.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 37.1% $45

Getting Around

Ithaca, NY

$66 2.2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 32.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ithaca, NY

$57 1.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 51.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,183 in Ithaca, 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 110% higher in Ithaca, NY, 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 $81.0 in Ithaca, NY versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

04:22 4:22 AM

6 h ahead of Ithaca, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,283

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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Ithaca, NY Budapest 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ithaca, 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

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

Yes – Ithaca, NY is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,412 per month in Ithaca, 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 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 63% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,466 per month in Ithaca, NY and $533 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 $1,619, than in Ithaca, NY at $2,941. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ithaca, NY 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, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.