Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, KY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,173 in Lexington, KY, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,173 per month in Lexington, KY vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Lexington, KY $2,173
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,265 per month in Lexington, KY vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Lexington, KY $3,265
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,356 per month in Lexington, KY vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Lexington, KY $4,356
Budapest $3,489

Lexington, KY costs about 34% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Lexington, KY and Budapest sit above the global median – Lexington, KY by 62%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 $13.14

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-6.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 $57.5

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-4.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 $9.14

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-8.23%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.38 Ft 1,100

51.78%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.13 Ft 692

18.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.87 Ft 608

10.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.75 Ft 1,221

33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.57 Ft 1,162

67.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.13 Ft 368

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.84 Ft 599

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.39 Ft 777

66.53%

Eggs

$3.68 $3.68

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-10.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$6.74 Ft 2,192

50.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 $14.52

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$1.84 Ft 597

198.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.01 Ft 653

-24.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.36 Ft 767

132.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.77 Ft 1,226

16.98%

Potato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$0.96 Ft 313

331.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.03 Ft 334

198.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.56 Ft 509

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$0.66 Ft 216

381.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.44 $8.44

$7.96 Ft 2,591

6.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.02 $13.02

$6.01 Ft 1,954

116.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.30 Ft 421

106.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.08 Ft 676

107.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.50 Ft 489

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 $29.70

$27.61 Ft 8,982

7.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.30 Ft 1,074

49.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.81 Ft 591

-44.75%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

26.25%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-25.98%

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

$188 $188

$170 Ft 55.3K

10.72%

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

$106 $106

$23.98 Ft 7,802

342.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$23.42 Ft 7,621

218.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.07 $39.07

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-41.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.41 $30.41

$19.18 Ft 6,239

58.55%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 $15.25

$9.52 Ft 3,098

60.19%

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

$2,222 $2,222

$537 Ft 174.6K

313.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

50.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-49.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 $31.32

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-27.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$113 Ft 36.7K

4.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$119 Ft 38.6K

27.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 $1,147

$805 Ft 262.0K

42.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 $929

$629 Ft 204.7K

47.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 $2,058

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

32.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

36.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,118 $2,118

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-62.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,077 $2,077

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-47.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,029 $4,029

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

147.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.43

6.07%

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

Last update for Lexington, KY: 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

Lexington, KY

$929 42.3%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 32.3% $300

Groceries & Markets

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 33.2% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lexington, KY

$369 16.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 41.1% $152

Eating Out

Lexington, KY

$249 11.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 10% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lexington, KY

$70 3.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 22.6% $16

Getting Around

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 12.2% $4.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,147 in Lexington, KY 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 148% higher in Lexington, KY, 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 $57.0 in Lexington, KY versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Lexington, KY vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

10:30 10:30 AM

6 h ahead of Lexington, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,570

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 →

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Between locations

Lexington, KY Budapest 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lexington, KY
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

Lexington, KY vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lexington, KY is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,260 per month in Lexington, KY 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 8% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,222 per month in Lexington, KY 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 Lexington, KY at $2,173. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lexington, KY 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, Lexington, KY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.