Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,249 per month in Manhattan, KS vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Manhattan, KS $2,249
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Manhattan, KS vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Manhattan, KS $3,271
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,292 per month in Manhattan, KS vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Manhattan, KS $4,292
Budapest $3,429

Manhattan, KS costs about 39% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manhattan, KS and Budapest sit above the global median – Manhattan, KS by 67%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 $15.10

$13.94 Ft 4,503

8.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

32.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$10.19 Ft 3,291

18.74%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$3.26 Ft 1,055

65.95%

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

$1.97 $1.97

$2.14 Ft 690

-7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.78 Ft 577

-17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.71 Ft 1,198

37.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$3.77 Ft 1,217

143.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.15 Ft 371

-23.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.79 Ft 578

81.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$2.49 Ft 804

152.21%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$3.90 Ft 1,261

14.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$11.10 Ft 3,587

6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$6.62 Ft 2,139

31.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 $14.68

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$1.83 Ft 591

271.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.05 Ft 661

5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.37 Ft 765

144.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.90 Ft 1,260

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.99 Ft 320

240.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.00 Ft 322

277.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.58 Ft 511

16.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.67 Ft 216

297.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$7.96 Ft 2,572

20.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 $17.24

$6.22 Ft 2,009

177.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.27 Ft 411

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.03 Ft 654

25.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$28.02 Ft 9,053

117.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.31 Ft 1,070

47.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.37 Ft 442

39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

$19.83 Ft 6,406

73.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.82 Ft 589

-49.45%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

18.71%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-24.33%

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

$144 $144

$171 Ft 55.3K

-15.58%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$23.51 Ft 7,596

102.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$23.29 Ft 7,526

184.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.5 $74.5

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

10.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$9.30 Ft 3,004

59.68%

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

$833 $833

$533 Ft 172.3K

56.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-31.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-51.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 $34.94

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-19.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$110 Ft 35.7K

-18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$119 Ft 38.4K

-3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 $927

$830 Ft 268.3K

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$622 Ft 200.9K

60.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 $1,457

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-8.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

24.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,366 $1,366

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-76.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,400 $1,400

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-64.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,433 $3,433

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

107.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.45

-1.86%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 37.7% $376

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$404 18%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 36.1% $146

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 20.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 15.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 29.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 17.3% $18

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 41.2% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in Manhattan, KS 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 108% higher in Manhattan, KS, 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 $81.0 in Manhattan, KS versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

09:49 9:49 AM

7 h ahead of Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Manhattan, KS Budapest 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, KS
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

Manhattan, KS vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manhattan, KS is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,374 per month in Manhattan, KS 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 117% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $833 per month in Manhattan, KS 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 Manhattan, KS at $2,249. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manhattan, KS 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, Manhattan, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.