Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Missoula, MT and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,576 in Missoula, MT, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
Learn more

Missoula, MT Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,576 per month in Missoula, MT vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Missoula, MT $2,576
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $4,184 per month in Missoula, MT vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Missoula, MT $4,184
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $5,793 per month in Missoula, MT vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Missoula, MT $5,793
Budapest $3,483

Missoula, MT costs about 57% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Missoula, MT and Budapest sit above the global median – Missoula, MT by 90%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 $16.75

$14.04 Ft 4,536

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

21.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 $9.74

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-6.08%

Cappuccino

$4.33 $4.33

$3.46 Ft 1,117

25.14%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$2.07 Ft 669

54.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.77 Ft 572

36.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.69 Ft 1,191

63.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.80 Ft 1,229

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.16 Ft 374

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.85 Ft 598

81.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.40 Ft 776

106.25%

Eggs

$4.36 $4.36

$3.99 Ft 1,289

9.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.90 $24.90

$11.40 Ft 3,683

118.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$6.87 Ft 2,221

44.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.07 $19.07

$14.49 Ft 4,682

31.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.88 Ft 607

161.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.14 Ft 693

-31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$2.30 Ft 744

181.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-3.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.02 Ft 329

140.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.99 Ft 320

195.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.58 Ft 510

56.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$0.70 Ft 225

464.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 $10.44

$8.03 Ft 2,594

30.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.89 $24.89

$6.18 Ft 1,997

302.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.24 Ft 401

58.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.06 Ft 666

112.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.43 Ft 1,110

42.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.33 Ft 431

266.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.14 $40.14

$20.45 Ft 6,607

96.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.93 Ft 624

-44.56%

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

$32.8K $32.8K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

12.63%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-29.70%

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

$136 $136

$175 Ft 56.4K

-21.90%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$23.62 Ft 7,631

123.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$23.60 Ft 7,625

194.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 $59.8

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-13.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.06 $22.06

$19.26 Ft 6,224

14.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 $13.54

$10.31 Ft 3,333

31.33%

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

$2,026 $2,026

$535 Ft 172.9K

278.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K $13.8K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-18.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 $65.2

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-34.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.23 $43.23

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-0.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$112 Ft 36.1K

-7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$119 Ft 38.4K

25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$832 Ft 268.8K

91.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$629 Ft 203.3K

103.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,091 $3,091

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

94.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,856 $2,856

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

138.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,924 $3,924

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-31.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,564 $3,564

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-9.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,506 $3,506

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

104.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.45

6.05%

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

Last update for Missoula, MT: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 49.6%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 50.7% $648

Groceries & Markets

Missoula, MT

$481 18.7%

Budapest

$262 16% 45.6% $219

Eating Out

Missoula, MT

$280 10.9%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 19.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Missoula, MT

$259 10%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 14.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Missoula, MT

$162 6.3%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 3.6% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Missoula, MT

$87 3.4%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 3% $2.6

Getting Around

Missoula, MT

$29 * 1.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 50.3% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Missoula, MT 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 105% higher in Missoula, MT, 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 $74.0 in Missoula, MT versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $481 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

8 h ahead of Missoula, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,489

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Missoula, MT Budapest 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Missoula, MT
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

Missoula, MT vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Missoula, MT is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,863 per month in Missoula, MT 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 $74.0 in Missoula, MT 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 84% more in Missoula, MT, 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 Missoula, MT at $2,576. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Missoula, MT 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, Missoula, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.