Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montana and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Montana: $833 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Montana
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Montana Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Montana

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$833

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $833 per month in Montana vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Montana $833
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,339 per month in Montana vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Montana $1,339
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,846 per month in Montana vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Montana $1,846
Budapest $3,429

Montana is about 49% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montana sits 38% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 BGN 15.83

$13.94 Ft 4,523

-35.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.16 BGN 63.3

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

-40.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 BGN 17.24

$10.19 Ft 3,306

-3.34%

Cappuccino

$1.39 BGN 2.43

$3.26 Ft 1,059

-57.36%

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

$1.38 BGN 2.42

$2.14 Ft 694

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$1.78 Ft 579

-37.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$3.71 Ft 1,204

-65.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$3.77 Ft 1,223

-73.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$1.15 Ft 372

46.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 BGN 1.76

$1.79 Ft 580

-44.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 BGN 3.68

$2.49 Ft 807

-15.66%

Eggs

$2.72 BGN 4.77

$3.90 Ft 1,266

-30.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 BGN 17.03

$11.10 Ft 3,604

-12.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 BGN 5.68

$6.62 Ft 2,149

-50.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 BGN 22.10

$14.69 Ft 4,767

-14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 BGN 2.12

$1.83 Ft 594

-33.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 BGN 3.12

$2.05 Ft 664

-13.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$2.37 Ft 769

-25.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 BGN 4.49

$3.90 Ft 1,266

-34.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 BGN 1.23

$0.99 Ft 322

-29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.00 Ft 323

-7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 BGN 1.58

$1.58 Ft 513

-43.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 BGN 0.86

$0.67 Ft 217

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 BGN 6.44

$7.96 Ft 2,584

-53.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 BGN 11.04

$6.22 Ft 2,018

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$1.27 Ft 413

-29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.97

$2.03 Ft 657

-44.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$1.52 Ft 492

-41.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.29 BGN 42.50

$28.02 Ft 9,095

-13.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 BGN 1.15

$3.31 Ft 1,075

-80.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 BGN 0.83

$1.37 Ft 444

-65.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 BGN 18.12

$19.83 Ft 6,436

-47.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 BGN 2.76

$1.82 Ft 591

-13.19%

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

$19.6K BGN 34.3K

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

-34.22%

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

$23.7K BGN 41.5K

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

-29.95%

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

$99.8 BGN 175

$171 Ft 55.5K

-41.70%

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

$18.72 BGN 32.77

$23.51 Ft 7,631

-20.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.52 BGN 14.90

$23.29 Ft 7,560

-63.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 BGN 52.3

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

-55.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.20 BGN 30.10

$18.89 Ft 6,133

-8.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 BGN 9.29

$9.30 Ft 3,018

-42.90%

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

$522 BGN 914

$533 Ft 173.1K

-2.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,479 BGN 9,589

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-67.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 BGN 119

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

-31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.05 BGN 73.6

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

-3.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 BGN 166

$110 Ft 35.8K

-14.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$119 Ft 38.6K

-12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 BGN 374

$830 Ft 269.6K

-74.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 BGN 280

$622 Ft 201.9K

-74.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 BGN 707

$1,594 Ft 517.2K

-74.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 BGN 532

$1,170 Ft 379.9K

-74.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,329 BGN 2,326

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-77.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 BGN 1,886

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-72.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$992 BGN 1,737

$1,651 Ft 535.9K

-39.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

6.45

-51.94%

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

Last update for Montana: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montana

$199 23.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 29.7% $59

Accommodation & Living

Montana

$160 19.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 289% $462

Clothing & Footwear

Montana

$139 16.7%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 20.4% $28

Eating Out

Montana

$137 16.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 62.8% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montana

$127 15.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 71.6% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Montana

$40 4.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 113% $46

Getting Around

Montana

$31 3.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 43.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $214 in Montana 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 66% higher in Budapest, 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 $36.00 in Montana versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $258 – making Montana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Montana

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

17:57 5:57 PM

16:57 4:57 PM

1 h behind Montana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,502

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montana Budapest 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montana
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

Montana vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,250 per month in Montana 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 Montana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Montana. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $522 per month in Montana and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Montana, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Montana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montana – 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 Montana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.