Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, CA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $3,185 in Long Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, CA
Learn more

Long Beach, CA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Long Beach, CA vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Long Beach, CA $3,185
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $4,857 per month in Long Beach, CA vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Long Beach, CA $4,857
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $6,529 per month in Long Beach, CA vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Long Beach, CA $6,529
Budapest $3,483

Long Beach, CA costs about 94% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Long Beach, CA and Budapest sit above the global median – Long Beach, CA by 135%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$14.04 Ft 4,536

40.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

29.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.48 $14.48

$10.37 Ft 3,351

39.63%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$3.46 Ft 1,117

78.32%

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

$3.27 $3.27

$2.07 Ft 669

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.77 Ft 572

40.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 $7.46

$3.69 Ft 1,191

102.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.70 $9.70

$3.80 Ft 1,229

155.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.16 Ft 374

-9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.85 Ft 598

123.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.40 Ft 776

93.75%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$3.99 Ft 1,289

16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$11.40 Ft 3,683

15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$6.87 Ft 2,221

107.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$14.49 Ft 4,682

4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.88 Ft 607

152.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.14 Ft 693

-21.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.30 Ft 744

108.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.04 Ft 1,304

19.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.02 Ft 329

239.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.99 Ft 320

126.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.58 Ft 510

29.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.70 Ft 225

161.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$8.03 Ft 2,594

43.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$6.18 Ft 1,997

143.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.24 Ft 401

55.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.06 Ft 666

59.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.59 Ft 513

10.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 $68.9

$27.52 Ft 8,893

150.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-14.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.33 Ft 431

56.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 $28.25

$20.45 Ft 6,607

38.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.93 Ft 624

-20.21%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-2.12%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-25.23%

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

$169 $169

$175 Ft 56.4K

-3.38%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$23.62 Ft 7,631

180.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$23.60 Ft 7,625

155.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 $39.49

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-42.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 $14.84

$10.31 Ft 3,333

43.94%

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

$1,912 $1,912

$535 Ft 172.9K

257.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

114.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-41.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 $40.11

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-7.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 $93.9

$112 Ft 36.1K

-15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$119 Ft 38.4K

19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$832 Ft 268.8K

147.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 $1,813

$629 Ft 203.3K

188.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,672 $3,672

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

131.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,462 $3,462

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

189.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,440 $7,440

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

30.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,677 $6,677

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

69.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,419 $4,419

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

158.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.45

-0.93%

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

Last update for Long Beach, CA: 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

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 56.9%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 65.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Long Beach, CA

$414 13%

Budapest

$262 16% 36.7% $152

Eating Out

Long Beach, CA

$355 11.1%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 36.2% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Beach, CA

$295 9.3%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 24.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.7%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 11.7% $18

Getting Around

Long Beach, CA

$89 2.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 50.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Long Beach, CA

$69 2.2%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 29.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,057 in Long Beach, CA 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 158% higher in Long Beach, CA, 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 $79.0 in Long Beach, CA versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

01:06 1:06 AM

9 h ahead of Long Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,450

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Long Beach, CA Budapest 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Long Beach, CA
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

Long Beach, CA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Long Beach, CA is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,778 per month in Long Beach, CA 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 150% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,912 per month in Long Beach, CA 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 Long Beach, CA at $3,185. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Long Beach, CA 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, Long Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.