Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malden, MA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $3,463 in Malden, MA, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Malden, MA
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Malden, MA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Malden, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,463

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,463 per month in Malden, MA vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Malden, MA $3,463
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $4,740 per month in Malden, MA vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Malden, MA $4,740
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $6,017 per month in Malden, MA vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Malden, MA $6,017
Budapest $3,429

Malden, MA costs about 114% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Malden, MA and Budapest sit above the global median – Malden, MA by 157%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$13.94 Ft 4,503

43.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 $95.3

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

55.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 $13.66

$10.19 Ft 3,291

34.05%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.26 Ft 1,055

65.03%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.14 Ft 690

33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.78 Ft 577

26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 $5.79

$3.71 Ft 1,198

56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.77 Ft 1,217

110.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.15 Ft 371

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.79 Ft 578

125.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.49 Ft 804

121.69%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.90 Ft 1,261

24.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 $12.09

$11.10 Ft 3,587

8.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.41 $14.41

$6.62 Ft 2,139

117.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$14.69 Ft 4,745

21.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$1.83 Ft 591

262.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.05 Ft 661

-14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.37 Ft 765

125.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$3.90 Ft 1,260

43.85%

Potato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$0.99 Ft 320

345.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.00 Ft 322

84.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.58 Ft 511

73.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.67 Ft 216

234.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 $12.37

$7.96 Ft 2,572

55.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$6.22 Ft 2,009

119.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.27 Ft 411

64.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.03 Ft 654

179.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.52 Ft 490

61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 $90.6

$28.02 Ft 9,053

223.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.37 Ft 442

29.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.97 $27.97

$19.83 Ft 6,406

41.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.82 Ft 589

-40.11%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

21.43%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-22.90%

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

$240 $240

$171 Ft 55.3K

40.25%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$23.51 Ft 7,596

130.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.4 $86.4

$23.29 Ft 7,526

271.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.09 $35.09

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-48.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 $15.69

$9.30 Ft 3,004

68.71%

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

$1,834 $1,834

$533 Ft 172.3K

243.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

81.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-42.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 $38.48

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-11.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$110 Ft 35.7K

-28.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$119 Ft 38.4K

-16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 $2,427

$830 Ft 268.3K

192.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 $1,997

$622 Ft 200.9K

221.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,439 $3,439

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

115.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 $2,763

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

136.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,638 $4,638

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

180.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.45

2.95%

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

Last update for Malden, MA: 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

Malden, MA

$2K 57.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 68.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Malden, MA

$453 13.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 43.1% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malden, MA

$381 11%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 42.7% $163

Eating Out

Malden, MA

$330 9.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 32.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Malden, MA

$124 3.6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 35.3% $44

Getting Around

Malden, MA

$112 3.2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 60.5% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Malden, MA

$66 1.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 29.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,427 in Malden, MA 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.

Salaries run about 181% higher in Malden, MA, 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 $95.0 in Malden, MA versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Malden, MA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

14:18 2:18 PM

6 h ahead of Malden, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,450

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Malden, MA Budapest 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Malden, MA
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

Malden, MA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Malden, MA is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,194 per month in Malden, MA 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.

Public transport costs about 223% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,834 per month in Malden, MA and $533 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 $1,619, than in Malden, MA at $3,463. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malden, MA 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, Malden, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.