Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lawrence, KS and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,242 in Lawrence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
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Lawrence, KS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $2,242
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $3,313
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $4,383
Budapest $3,489

Lawrence, KS costs about 38% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lawrence, KS and Budapest sit above the global median – Lawrence, KS by 67%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$13.99 Ft 4,551

7.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

25.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$9.96 Ft 3,241

10.14%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$3.38 Ft 1,100

50.30%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$2.13 Ft 692

17.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.87 Ft 608

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.75 Ft 1,221

56.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$3.57 Ft 1,162

106.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.13 Ft 368

-26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.84 Ft 599

70.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.39 Ft 777

80.33%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.83 Ft 1,245

2.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-2.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$6.74 Ft 2,192

87.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$14.69 Ft 4,780

13.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$1.84 Ft 597

194.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.01 Ft 653

4.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.36 Ft 767

108.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.77 Ft 1,226

9.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.96 Ft 313

87.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.03 Ft 334

187.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.56 Ft 509

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.66 Ft 216

327.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 $7.06

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-11.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.01 Ft 1,954

135.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.30 Ft 421

34.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.08 Ft 676

-20.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-10.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.30 Ft 424

4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.50 $25.50

$19.78 Ft 6,436

28.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.81 Ft 591

-48.07%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-22.84%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-29.42%

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

$279 $279

$170 Ft 55.3K

63.89%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$23.98 Ft 7,802

165.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$23.42 Ft 7,621

175.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 $44.86

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-32.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 $12.06

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-37.12%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$9.52 Ft 3,098

28.57%

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

$992 $992

$537 Ft 174.6K

84.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

16.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$101 Ft 33.0K

-48.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$113 Ft 36.7K

-29.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$119 Ft 38.6K

-14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 $1,191

$805 Ft 262.0K

47.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 $907

$629 Ft 204.7K

44.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 $1,944

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

25.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 $1,665

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

42.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-57.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 $2,112

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-46.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

134.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.43

2.18%

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

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lawrence, KS

$907 41.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 30.6% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lawrence, KS

$407 18.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 46.6% $189

Groceries & Markets

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.9%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 34.2% $134

Eating Out

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 18.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Lawrence, KS

$123 5.6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 38% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 23% $16

Getting Around

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 346% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Lawrence, KS 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 134% higher in Lawrence, KS, 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 Lawrence, KS versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

7 h ahead of Lawrence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,358

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 11, 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 →

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Between locations

Lawrence, KS Budapest 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lawrence, KS
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

Lawrence, KS vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lawrence, KS is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,363 per month in Lawrence, KS 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lawrence, KS and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Lawrence, KS, 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 $1,621, than in Lawrence, KS at $2,242. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lawrence, KS 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, Lawrence, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.