Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marion, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,437 in Marion, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Marion, IL
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Marion, IL Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Marion, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,437

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,437 per month in Marion, IL vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Marion, IL $2,437
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,587 per month in Marion, IL vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Marion, IL $3,587
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,737 per month in Marion, IL vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Marion, IL $4,737
Budapest $3,483

Marion, IL costs about 49% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Marion, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Marion, IL by 80%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 $17.67

$14.04 Ft 4,536

25.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

25.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.37 Ft 3,351

17.16%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$3.46 Ft 1,117

65.61%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$2.07 Ft 669

14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.77 Ft 572

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.69 Ft 1,191

86.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.80 Ft 1,229

109.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.16 Ft 374

-33.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.85 Ft 598

-11.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.40 Ft 776

64.17%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-25.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-61.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.43 $11.43

$6.87 Ft 2,221

66.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 $18.99

$14.49 Ft 4,682

31.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$1.88 Ft 607

206.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.14 Ft 693

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$2.30 Ft 744

148.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.04 Ft 1,304

18.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.02 Ft 329

220.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$0.99 Ft 320

330.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.58 Ft 510

67.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.70 Ft 225

208.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.08 $9.08

$8.03 Ft 2,594

13.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 $10.17

$6.18 Ft 1,997

64.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.24 Ft 401

37.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.06 Ft 666

-22.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.59 Ft 513

14.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-41.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.33 Ft 431

4.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 $20.20

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.93 Ft 624

-48.70%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-2.71%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-23.34%

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

$150 $150

$175 Ft 56.4K

-13.99%

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

$84.3 $84.3

$23.62 Ft 7,631

256.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$23.60 Ft 7,625

212.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.51 $41.51

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-39.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 $9.84

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-4.56%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$535 Ft 172.9K

216.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K $24.4K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

44.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.46 $25.46

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-74.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.36 $33.36

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 $74.9

$112 Ft 36.1K

-33.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.1 $86.1

$119 Ft 38.4K

-27.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$832 Ft 268.8K

89.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$629 Ft 203.3K

104.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 $2,503

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

57.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

78.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 $2,461

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-56.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,586 $2,586

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-34.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.45

2.33%

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

Last update for Marion, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marion, IL

$1.3K 52.8%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 51.1% $658

Groceries & Markets

Marion, IL

$352 14.4%

Budapest

$262 16% 25.6% $90

Eating Out

Marion, IL

$314 12.9%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 28% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marion, IL

$308 12.6%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 28% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Marion, IL

$99 4.1%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 70.1% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Marion, IL

$61 2.5%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 46.2% $28

Getting Around

Marion, IL

$16 * 0.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 171% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Marion, IL 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Marion, IL versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Marion, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

01:46 1:46 AM

7 h ahead of Marion, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,193

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Marion, IL Budapest 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Marion, IL
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

Marion, IL vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marion, IL is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,656 per month in Marion, IL 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 $76.0 in Marion, IL 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 34% more in Marion, IL, 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 Marion, IL at $2,437. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marion, IL 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, Marion, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.