Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kearney, NE and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,083 in Kearney, NE, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Kearney, NE
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Kearney, NE Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Kearney, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,083

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,083 per month in Kearney, NE vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Kearney, NE $2,083
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $2,931 per month in Kearney, NE vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Kearney, NE $2,931
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $3,780 per month in Kearney, NE vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Kearney, NE $3,780
Budapest $3,483

Kearney, NE costs about 27% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Kearney, NE and Budapest sit above the global median – Kearney, NE by 54%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 $15.29

$14.04 Ft 4,536

8.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

0.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$10.37 Ft 3,351

14.46%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$3.46 Ft 1,117

47.98%

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

$2.11 $2.11

$2.07 Ft 669

1.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.77 Ft 572

4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.69 Ft 1,191

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.80 Ft 1,229

34.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.16 Ft 374

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.85 Ft 598

-8.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.40 Ft 776

53.33%

Eggs

$3.69 $3.69

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-7.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 $8.79

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-22.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-5.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$14.49 Ft 4,682

6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$1.88 Ft 607

188.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.14 Ft 693

-0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.30 Ft 744

105.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.04 Ft 1,304

6.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.02 Ft 329

85.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$0.99 Ft 320

202.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.58 Ft 510

27.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.70 Ft 225

318.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$8.03 Ft 2,594

12.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$6.18 Ft 1,997

144.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.24 Ft 401

46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.06 Ft 666

-3.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-12.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.33 Ft 431

0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.73 $24.73

$20.45 Ft 6,607

20.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.93 Ft 624

-47.15%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-16.65%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-21.91%

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

$273 $273

$175 Ft 56.4K

56.42%

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

$62.3 $62.3

$23.62 Ft 7,631

163.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$23.60 Ft 7,625

211.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 $56.1

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-18.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.94 $5.94

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-69.16%

Cinema Ticket

$12.42 $12.42

$10.31 Ft 3,333

20.47%

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

$992 $992

$535 Ft 172.9K

85.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K $19.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

13.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.42 $29.42

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-70.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.22 $39.22

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 $95.6

$112 Ft 36.1K

-14.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$119 Ft 38.4K

2.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 $1,018

$832 Ft 268.8K

22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$850 $850

$629 Ft 203.3K

35.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 $1,497

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 $1,224

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

2.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,619 $1,619

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-71.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 $1,585

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-59.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,554 $7,554

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

341.22%

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 Kearney, NE: October 17, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kearney, NE

$850 40.8%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 26% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kearney, NE

$409 19.6%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 45.7% $187

Groceries & Markets

Kearney, NE

$339 16.3%

Budapest

$262 16% 22.7% $77

Eating Out

Kearney, NE

$266 12.8%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 14.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Kearney, NE

$129 6.2%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 30.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Kearney, NE

$81 3.9%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 10.6% $8.6

Getting Around

Kearney, NE

$9.7 * 0.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 353% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Kearney, NE versus $832 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 341% higher in Kearney, NE, 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 $61.0 in Kearney, NE versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $339 in Kearney, NE vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kearney, NE

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

17:32 5:32 PM

7 h ahead of Kearney, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,385

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Kearney, NE Budapest 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Kearney, NE
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

Kearney, NE vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kearney, NE is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,125 per month in Kearney, NE and $2,461 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 $61.0 in Kearney, NE 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 29% more in Kearney, NE, 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 $1,641, than in Kearney, NE at $2,083. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kearney, NE 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, Kearney, NE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.