Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Cruces, NM and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
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Las Cruces, NM Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,067

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,067 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $2,067
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $3,132
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,196 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $4,196
Budapest $3,483

Las Cruces, NM costs about 26% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Las Cruces, NM and Budapest sit above the global median – Las Cruces, NM by 53%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 $17.34

$14.04 Ft 4,536

23.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.20 $45.20

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-25.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.37 Ft 3,351

17.16%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.46 Ft 1,117

67.05%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$2.07 Ft 669

15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.77 Ft 572

22.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.69 Ft 1,191

71.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$3.80 Ft 1,229

140.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.16 Ft 374

-33.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.85 Ft 598

94.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.40 Ft 776

56.67%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$3.99 Ft 1,289

18.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 $13.56

$11.40 Ft 3,683

18.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.04 $12.04

$6.87 Ft 2,221

75.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 $17.48

$14.49 Ft 4,682

20.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.88 Ft 607

132.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.14 Ft 693

-1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.30 Ft 744

47.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-4.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.02 Ft 329

131.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.99 Ft 320

139.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.58 Ft 510

13.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.70 Ft 225

162.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 $11.02

$8.03 Ft 2,594

37.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$6.18 Ft 1,997

144.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.24 Ft 401

98.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.06 Ft 666

70.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.59 Ft 513

-37.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.50 $38.50

$27.52 Ft 8,893

39.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-31.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.33 Ft 431

74.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.93 Ft 624

-49.22%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-4.65%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-31.30%

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

$176 $176

$175 Ft 56.4K

0.82%

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

$57.0 $57.0

$23.62 Ft 7,631

141.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 $87.4

$23.60 Ft 7,625

270.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 $50.2

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-27.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 $10.89

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-43.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 $10.09

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-2.13%

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

$683 $683

$535 Ft 172.9K

27.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 $58.2

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-41.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.55 $31.55

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-27.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$112 Ft 36.1K

-24.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$119 Ft 38.4K

-14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 $966

$832 Ft 268.8K

16.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 $794

$629 Ft 203.3K

26.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 $1,725

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 $1,532

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

27.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,121 $2,121

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-62.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,971 $1,971

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-50.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,589 $3,589

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

109.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

6.45

-1.40%

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

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Las Cruces, NM

$794 38.4%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 20.8% $165

Groceries & Markets

Las Cruces, NM

$389 18.8%

Budapest

$262 16% 32.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Las Cruces, NM

$320 15.5%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 30.8% $99

Eating Out

Las Cruces, NM

$313 15.1%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 27.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Las Cruces, NM

$124 6%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 35.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Las Cruces, NM

$70 3.4%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 27.2% $19

Getting Around

Las Cruces, NM

$56 2.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 22% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $966 in Las Cruces, NM 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 110% higher in Las Cruces, NM, 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 $45.00 in Las Cruces, NM versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Las Cruces, NM vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

08:51 8:51 AM

8 h ahead of Las Cruces, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,385

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 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 →

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Between locations

Las Cruces, NM Budapest 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Las Cruces, NM
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

Las Cruces, NM vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Las Cruces, NM is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,101 per month in Las Cruces, NM 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 40% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $683 per month in Las Cruces, NM 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 Las Cruces, NM at $2,067. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Las Cruces, NM 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, Las Cruces, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.