Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $31,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,259 per month in Los Angeles, CA vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Los Angeles, CA $4,259
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $6,260 per month in Los Angeles, CA vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Los Angeles, CA $6,260
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $8,260 per month in Los Angeles, CA vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Los Angeles, CA $8,260
Budapest $3,489

Los Angeles, CA costs about 163% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Los Angeles, CA and Budapest sit above the global median – Los Angeles, CA by 218%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$13.99 Ft 4,555

92.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

102.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$9.96 Ft 3,244

50.40%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$3.38 Ft 1,102

72.78%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$2.13 Ft 693

77.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.87 Ft 609

42.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.75 Ft 1,222

114.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$3.57 Ft 1,163

175.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.13 Ft 369

15.04%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.84 Ft 600

163.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.39 Ft 777

87.45%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$3.83 Ft 1,246

60.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$6.74 Ft 2,194

134.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$14.69 Ft 4,784

35.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$1.84 Ft 598

184.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.01 Ft 654

15.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.36 Ft 767

98.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.77 Ft 1,227

49.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$0.96 Ft 314

241.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.03 Ft 335

179.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.56 Ft 509

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.66 Ft 216

269.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 $12.78

$7.96 Ft 2,594

60.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$6.01 Ft 1,956

150.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.30 Ft 422

127.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.08 Ft 677

35.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.50 Ft 490

19.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$27.61 Ft 8,991

276.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.30 Ft 424

44.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

$19.78 Ft 6,442

59.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.81 Ft 591

-10.50%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

28.44%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-22.79%

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

$288 $288

$170 Ft 55.3K

69.43%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$23.98 Ft 7,809

224.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$23.42 Ft 7,628

243.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 $74.2

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

12.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-37.96%

Cinema Ticket

$19.79 $19.79

$9.52 Ft 3,101

107.88%

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

$1,678 $1,678

$537 Ft 174.8K

212.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

92.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 $91.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-9.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

52.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$113 Ft 36.7K

7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 $206

$119 Ft 38.7K

73.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$805 Ft 262.2K

216.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,443 $2,443

$629 Ft 204.9K

288.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,518 $5,518

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

256.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,275 $4,275

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

266.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,211 $7,211

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

28.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,930 $6,930

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

74.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,173 $4,173

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

156.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.43

6.69%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 74.2% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 44.9% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 51.3% $229

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 46.2% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 22.4% $49

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 64.9% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 25% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA 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 157% higher in Los Angeles, 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 $122 in Los Angeles, CA versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $467 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

04:43 4:43 AM

9 h ahead of Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

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 = 326 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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Los Angeles, CA Budapest 10,000 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Los Angeles, CA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Los Angeles, CA is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,388 per month in Los Angeles, CA 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 276% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,678 per month in Los Angeles, CA 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 Los Angeles, CA at $4,259. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Los Angeles, 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, Los Angeles, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.