Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Minneapolis, MN and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,735 in Minneapolis, MN, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Minneapolis, MN
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Minneapolis, MN Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Minneapolis, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,735

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,735 per month in Minneapolis, MN vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Minneapolis, MN $2,735
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,128 per month in Minneapolis, MN vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Minneapolis, MN $4,128
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,521 per month in Minneapolis, MN vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Minneapolis, MN $5,521
Budapest $3,489

Minneapolis, MN costs about 69% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Minneapolis, MN and Budapest sit above the global median – Minneapolis, MN by 104%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.15 $22.15

$13.99 Ft 4,551

58.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

34.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 $12.04

$9.96 Ft 3,241

20.88%

Cappuccino

$6.56 $6.56

$3.38 Ft 1,100

94.08%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$2.13 Ft 692

46.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.87 Ft 608

20.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.75 Ft 1,221

91.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.57 Ft 1,162

122.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.13 Ft 368

-19.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.84 Ft 599

95.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$2.39 Ft 777

172.38%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-6.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-7.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$6.74 Ft 2,192

98.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.58 $19.58

$14.69 Ft 4,780

33.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$1.84 Ft 597

222.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.01 Ft 653

-6.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$2.36 Ft 767

180.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$3.77 Ft 1,226

41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$0.96 Ft 313

362.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.03 Ft 334

301.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.56 Ft 509

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.66 Ft 216

286.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.89 $12.89

$7.96 Ft 2,591

61.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 $16.10

$6.01 Ft 1,954

167.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.30 Ft 421

123.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.08 Ft 676

165.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.50 Ft 489

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.3 $85.3

$27.61 Ft 8,982

208.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.30 Ft 1,074

49.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.30 Ft 424

34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.01 $24.01

$19.78 Ft 6,436

21.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.81 Ft 591

-42.54%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

24.92%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-24.23%

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

$182 $182

$170 Ft 55.3K

6.86%

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

$54.9 $54.9

$23.98 Ft 7,802

128.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$23.42 Ft 7,621

203.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 $65.7

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-0.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.32 $27.32

$19.18 Ft 6,239

42.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 $15.92

$9.52 Ft 3,098

67.23%

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

$1,345 $1,345

$537 Ft 174.6K

150.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.6K $35.6K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

114.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$101 Ft 33.0K

-43.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 $43.87

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$113 Ft 36.7K

-12.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$119 Ft 38.6K

-10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 $1,808

$805 Ft 262.0K

124.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 $1,261

$629 Ft 204.7K

100.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,865 $2,865

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

84.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

84.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 $3,337

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-40.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,163 $2,163

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-45.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,249 $4,249

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

161.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.43

3.58%

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

Last update for Minneapolis, MN: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Minneapolis, MN

$1.3K 46.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 50.1% $632

Groceries & Markets

Minneapolis, MN

$456 16.7%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 43.5% $198

Eating Out

Minneapolis, MN

$365 13.4%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 38.6% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Minneapolis, MN

$307 11.3%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 29.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Minneapolis, MN

$138 5%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 22.8% $31

Getting Around

Minneapolis, MN

$107 3.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 59.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Minneapolis, MN

$98 3.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 12.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,808 in Minneapolis, MN versus $805 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 161% higher in Minneapolis, 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 $81.0 in Minneapolis, MN versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Minneapolis, MN

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

09:14 9:14 AM

7 h ahead of Minneapolis, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

429,954

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Minneapolis, MN Budapest 7,800 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Minneapolis, MN
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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

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

Yes – Minneapolis, MN is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,103 per month in Minneapolis, MN and $2,432 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 209% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,345 per month in Minneapolis, MN and $537 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 $1,621, than in Minneapolis, MN at $2,735. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Minneapolis, 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, Minneapolis, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.