Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mankato, MN and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,094 in Mankato, MN, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Mankato, MN
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Mankato, MN Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Mankato, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,094

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,094 per month in Mankato, MN vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Mankato, MN $2,094
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,125 per month in Mankato, MN vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Mankato, MN $3,125
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,157 per month in Mankato, MN vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Mankato, MN $4,157
Budapest $3,483

Mankato, MN costs about 28% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mankato, MN and Budapest sit above the global median – Mankato, MN by 55%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$14.04 Ft 4,536

42.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 $71.1

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

16.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-2.22%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.46 Ft 1,117

45.09%

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

$2.12 $2.12

$2.07 Ft 669

2.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.77 Ft 572

-7.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.69 Ft 1,191

34.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$3.80 Ft 1,229

47.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.16 Ft 374

-19.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.85 Ft 598

58.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.40 Ft 776

38.33%

Eggs

$3.37 $3.37

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 $8.40

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-26.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.35 $16.35

$6.87 Ft 2,221

137.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 $16.97

$14.49 Ft 4,682

17.12%

Apples (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$1.88 Ft 607

309.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.14 Ft 693

7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$2.30 Ft 744

179.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-4.70%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.02 Ft 329

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$0.99 Ft 320

286.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.58 Ft 510

63.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.70 Ft 225

192.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 $10.12

$8.03 Ft 2,594

26.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$6.18 Ft 1,997

142.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.24 Ft 401

37.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.06 Ft 666

101.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.33 Ft 431

-4.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.93 Ft 624

-54.92%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-7.03%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-26.34%

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

$190 $190

$175 Ft 56.4K

9.09%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$23.62 Ft 7,631

121.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$23.60 Ft 7,625

228.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 $39.45

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-42.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 $9.92

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-3.78%

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

$1,362 $1,362

$535 Ft 172.9K

154.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-28.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-32.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.63 $35.63

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-17.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 $77.9

$112 Ft 36.1K

-30.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 $75.8

$119 Ft 38.4K

-36.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 $1,014

$832 Ft 268.8K

21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 $866

$629 Ft 203.3K

37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

37.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

20.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 $1,644

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-71.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,646 $1,646

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-58.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,364 $4,364

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

154.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.45

1.86%

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

Last update for Mankato, MN: October 20, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mankato, MN

$866 41.4%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 27.4% $237

Groceries & Markets

Mankato, MN

$422 20.2%

Budapest

$262 16% 38% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mankato, MN

$320 15.3%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 30.8% $99

Eating Out

Mankato, MN

$302 14.4%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 25.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Mankato, MN

$115 5.5%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 45.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Mankato, MN

$59 2.8%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 50.9% $30

Getting Around

Mankato, MN

$8.3 * 0.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 429% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Mankato, MN 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 155% higher in Mankato, MN, 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 $71.0 in Mankato, MN versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mankato, MN

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

16:39 4:39 PM

7 h ahead of Mankato, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,309

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Mankato, MN Budapest 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mankato, MN
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

Mankato, MN vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mankato, MN is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,141 per month in Mankato, MN 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Mankato, MN 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 61% more in Mankato, MN, 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 $1,641, than in Mankato, MN at $2,094. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mankato, MN 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, Mankato, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.