Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,566 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
Learn more

Knoxville, TN Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,566

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,566 per month in Knoxville, TN vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Knoxville, TN $2,566
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,815 per month in Knoxville, TN vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Knoxville, TN $3,815
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,064 per month in Knoxville, TN vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Knoxville, TN $5,064
Budapest $3,489

Knoxville, TN costs about 58% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Knoxville, TN and Budapest sit above the global median – Knoxville, TN by 92%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 $17.48

$13.99 Ft 4,551

24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

26.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$9.96 Ft 3,241

1.81%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.38 Ft 1,100

58.28%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.13 Ft 692

26.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.87 Ft 608

45.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.75 Ft 1,221

68.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.57 Ft 1,162

86.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.13 Ft 368

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.84 Ft 599

89.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.39 Ft 777

99.16%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.83 Ft 1,245

11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-12.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 $9.34

$6.74 Ft 2,192

38.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$14.69 Ft 4,780

3.47%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$1.84 Ft 597

267.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.01 Ft 653

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.36 Ft 767

15.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$3.77 Ft 1,226

45.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.96 Ft 313

131.25%

Onion (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.03 Ft 334

301.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.56 Ft 509

49.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.66 Ft 216

231.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.96 Ft 2,591

23.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$6.01 Ft 1,954

145.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.30 Ft 421

48.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.08 Ft 676

49.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 Ft 489

-32.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.07 $30.07

$27.61 Ft 8,982

8.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.30 Ft 1,074

50.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.30 Ft 424

21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.43 $30.43

$19.78 Ft 6,436

53.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.81 Ft 591

-48.07%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

28.46%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-19.89%

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

$219 $219

$170 Ft 55.3K

28.72%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$23.98 Ft 7,802

207.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 $53.3

$23.42 Ft 7,621

127.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.46 $29.46

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-55.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.85 $21.85

$19.18 Ft 6,239

13.92%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 $15.40

$9.52 Ft 3,098

61.76%

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

$1,230 $1,230

$537 Ft 174.6K

129.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

44.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.76 $49.76

$101 Ft 33.0K

-50.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.35 $45.35

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

5.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$113 Ft 36.7K

-3.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$119 Ft 38.6K

2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$805 Ft 262.0K

119.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 $1,264

$629 Ft 204.7K

100.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 $2,902

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

87.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 $2,166

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

85.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,689 $4,689

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-16.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 $2,267

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-42.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,623 $3,623

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

122.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.43

3.27%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 50.2% $635

Groceries & Markets

Knoxville, TN

$381 15%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 32.4% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knoxville, TN

$346 13.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 37.2% $129

Eating Out

Knoxville, TN

$301 11.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 25.5% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Knoxville, TN

$147 5.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 15.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 41.5% $25

Getting Around

Knoxville, TN

$47 1.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 7.5% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,767 in Knoxville, TN versus $805 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 123% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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 $76.0 in Knoxville, TN versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

16:15 4:15 PM

6 h ahead of Knoxville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,740

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Knoxville, TN Budapest 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Knoxville, TN
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

Knoxville, TN vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Knoxville, TN is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,849 per month in Knoxville, TN and $2,432 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 9% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,230 per month in Knoxville, TN and $537 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 $1,621, than in Knoxville, TN at $2,566. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Knoxville, TN 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, Knoxville, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.