Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacksonville, NC and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,454 in Jacksonville, NC, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Jacksonville, NC
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Jacksonville, NC Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Jacksonville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,454

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,454 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $2,454
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,505 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $3,505
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,555 per month in Jacksonville, NC vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Jacksonville, NC $4,555
Budapest $3,429

Jacksonville, NC costs about 52% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jacksonville, NC and Budapest sit above the global median – Jacksonville, NC by 82%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.47 $15.47

$13.94 Ft 4,503

10.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-3.14%

Cappuccino

$4.70 $4.70

$3.26 Ft 1,055

44.17%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$2.14 Ft 690

18.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.78 Ft 577

15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.71 Ft 1,198

37.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.77 Ft 1,217

80.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.15 Ft 371

2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.79 Ft 578

140.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$2.49 Ft 804

344.18%

Eggs

$5.89 $5.89

$3.90 Ft 1,261

51.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.43 $19.43

$11.10 Ft 3,587

75.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$6.62 Ft 2,139

158.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.81 $23.81

$14.69 Ft 4,745

62.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.69 $5.69

$1.83 Ft 591

210.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.05 Ft 661

-14.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 $8.30

$2.37 Ft 765

250.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.90 Ft 1,260

52.05%

Potato (1kg)

$7.05 $7.05

$0.99 Ft 320

612.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.00 Ft 322

302.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.58 Ft 511

75.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.67 Ft 216

195.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.96 Ft 2,572

1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$6.22 Ft 2,009

138.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.27 Ft 411

33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.03 Ft 654

89.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-23.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.82 Ft 589

-53.30%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

18.33%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-25.65%

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

$172 $172

$171 Ft 55.3K

0.60%

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

$75.7 $75.7

$23.51 Ft 7,596

221.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$23.29 Ft 7,526

198.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 $37.21

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-44.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.64 $1.64

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-91.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 $13.04

$9.30 Ft 3,004

40.22%

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

$719 $719

$533 Ft 172.3K

34.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-40.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.93 $39.93

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$110 Ft 35.7K

-7.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$119 Ft 38.4K

13.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$830 Ft 268.3K

59.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 $1,102

$622 Ft 200.9K

77.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,923 $1,923

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

20.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 $1,590

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

35.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 $1,910

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-67.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,745 $6,745

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

73.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

33.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.45

-1.24%

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

Last update for Jacksonville, NC: 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

Jacksonville, NC

$1.1K 44.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 43.6% $480

Groceries & Markets

Jacksonville, NC

$550 22.4%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 53.1% $292

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jacksonville, NC

$317 12.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 31.4% $100

Eating Out

Jacksonville, NC

$267 10.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 16.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Jacksonville, NC

$152 6.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 10.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Jacksonville, NC

$63 2.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 36.1% $23

Getting Around

Jacksonville, NC

$2.5 * 0.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 1656% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,328 in Jacksonville, NC 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 34% higher in Jacksonville, NC, 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 $59.0 in Jacksonville, NC versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $550 in Jacksonville, NC vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jacksonville, NC

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

10:01 10:01 AM

6 h ahead of Jacksonville, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

949,611

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

Jacksonville, NC Budapest 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Jacksonville, NC
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

Jacksonville, NC vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Jacksonville, NC is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,680 per month in Jacksonville, NC 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 $59.0 in Jacksonville, NC 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 113% more in Jacksonville, NC, 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 Jacksonville, NC at $2,454. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jacksonville, NC 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, Jacksonville, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.