Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lakewood, WA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $3,284 in Lakewood, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Lakewood, WA
Learn more

Lakewood, WA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,284 per month in Lakewood, WA vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Lakewood, WA $3,284
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $4,777 per month in Lakewood, WA vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Lakewood, WA $4,777
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $6,270 per month in Lakewood, WA vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Lakewood, WA $6,270
Budapest $3,483

Lakewood, WA costs about 100% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lakewood, WA and Budapest sit above the global median – Lakewood, WA by 142%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$14.04 Ft 4,536

28.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 $67.6

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

10.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 $12.71

$10.37 Ft 3,351

22.57%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$3.46 Ft 1,117

50.29%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$2.07 Ft 669

43.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.77 Ft 572

15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.69 Ft 1,191

5.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.80 Ft 1,229

60.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.16 Ft 374

-12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.85 Ft 598

98.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.40 Ft 776

76.67%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$11.40 Ft 3,683

20.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$6.87 Ft 2,221

26.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-22.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.88 Ft 607

132.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.14 Ft 693

-9.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.30 Ft 744

80.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.04 Ft 1,304

11.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.02 Ft 329

93.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.99 Ft 320

117.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.58 Ft 510

27.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.70 Ft 225

255.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$8.03 Ft 2,594

53.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$6.18 Ft 1,997

156.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.24 Ft 401

59.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.06 Ft 666

101.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.59 Ft 513

28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$197 $197

$27.52 Ft 8,893

615.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-41.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.33 Ft 431

-51.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 $27.31

$20.45 Ft 6,607

33.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.93 Ft 624

-30.57%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-3.57%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-24.25%

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

$289 $289

$175 Ft 56.4K

65.38%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$23.62 Ft 7,631

213.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$23.60 Ft 7,625

279.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.00 $41.00

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-40.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.97 $24.97

$19.26 Ft 6,224

29.65%

Cinema Ticket

$18.08 $18.08

$10.31 Ft 3,333

75.36%

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

$1,965 $1,965

$535 Ft 172.9K

267.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

52.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-49.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 $38.11

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$112 Ft 36.1K

-10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$119 Ft 38.4K

14.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$832 Ft 268.8K

135.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$629 Ft 203.3K

175.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,365 $3,365

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

112.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 $3,047

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

154.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,359 $2,359

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-58.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,606 $2,606

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-33.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.45

5.58%

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

Last update for Lakewood, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 63.7% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 51% $230

Groceries & Markets

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2%

Budapest

$262 16% 29% $107

Eating Out

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 23.8% $71

Getting Around

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 79.1% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 15.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 16% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,961 in Lakewood, WA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Lakewood, WA versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

15:16 3:16 PM

9 h ahead of Lakewood, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,024

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lakewood, WA Budapest 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lakewood, WA
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

Lakewood, WA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lakewood, WA is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,926 per month in Lakewood, WA 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.

Public transport costs about 615% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,965 per month in Lakewood, WA and $535 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 $1,641, than in Lakewood, WA at $3,284. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lakewood, WA 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, Lakewood, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.