Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Gatos, CA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $4,903 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $39,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

236

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

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,903

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,903 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $4,903
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $7,295 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $7,295
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $9,686 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $9,686
Budapest $3,429

Los Gatos, CA costs about 203% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Los Gatos, CA and Budapest sit above the global median – Los Gatos, CA by 263%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 $25.15

$13.94 Ft 4,503

80.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

60.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.19 Ft 3,291

46.03%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$3.26 Ft 1,055

99.39%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.14 Ft 690

42.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.78 Ft 577

37.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.71 Ft 1,198

117.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$3.77 Ft 1,217

117.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.15 Ft 371

11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.79 Ft 578

146.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.49 Ft 804

92.77%

Eggs

$6.56 $6.56

$3.90 Ft 1,261

68.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 $24.81

$11.10 Ft 3,587

123.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$6.62 Ft 2,139

76.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-11.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$1.83 Ft 591

204.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.05 Ft 661

51.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.37 Ft 765

105.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$3.90 Ft 1,260

46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$0.99 Ft 320

242.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.00 Ft 322

288.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.58 Ft 511

93.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$0.67 Ft 216

305.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 $7.36

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-7.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 $12.81

$6.22 Ft 2,009

105.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.27 Ft 411

69.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.03 Ft 654

25.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.31 Ft 1,070

19.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.37 Ft 442

263.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.82 Ft 589

-13.74%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

1.35%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-21.90%

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

$374 $374

$171 Ft 55.3K

118.84%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$23.51 Ft 7,596

146.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$23.29 Ft 7,526

165.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$147 $147

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

117.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$17.05 $17.05

$9.30 Ft 3,004

83.33%

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

$2,282 $2,282

$533 Ft 172.3K

327.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

43.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-9.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 $75.1

$110 Ft 35.7K

-31.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 $60.3

$119 Ft 38.4K

-49.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 $3,440

$830 Ft 268.3K

314.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,222 $3,222

$622 Ft 200.9K

418.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,089 $6,089

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

420.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,511 $3,511

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-39.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.45

3.72%

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

Last update for Los Gatos, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Gatos, CA

$3.2K 65.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 80.7% $2.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Gatos, CA

$494 10.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 55.9% $276

Groceries & Markets

Los Gatos, CA

$473 9.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 45.4% $215

Eating Out

Los Gatos, CA

$403 8.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 44.6% $180

Sport & Entertainment

Los Gatos, CA

$181 3.7%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 52.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Los Gatos, CA

$102 2.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 64.4% $66

Getting Around

Los Gatos, CA

$29 * 0.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 53.2% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,440 in Los Gatos, CA versus $830 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $473 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

9 h ahead of Los Gatos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,222

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Los Gatos, CA Budapest 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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Los Gatos, 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

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

Yes – Los Gatos, CA is pricier by about 203%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,355 per month in Los Gatos, CA and $2,428 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 $99.0 in Los Gatos, CA and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Los Gatos, CA, 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 $1,619, than in Los Gatos, CA at $4,903. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Los Gatos, 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 Gatos, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.