Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mundelein, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,438 in Mundelein, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

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

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Mundelein, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,438 per month in Mundelein, IL vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Mundelein, IL $2,438
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,620 per month in Mundelein, IL vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Mundelein, IL $3,620
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,802 per month in Mundelein, IL vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Mundelein, IL $4,802
Budapest $3,483

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 $16.19

$14.04 Ft 4,536

15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 $54.1

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-11.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 $7.90

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-23.82%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$3.46 Ft 1,117

66.47%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$2.07 Ft 669

54.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.77 Ft 572

38.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.69 Ft 1,191

86.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$3.80 Ft 1,229

108.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.16 Ft 374

-35.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.85 Ft 598

88.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.40 Ft 776

-9.58%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.69 $14.69

$11.40 Ft 3,683

28.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$6.87 Ft 2,221

88.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 $19.83

$14.49 Ft 4,682

36.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.88 Ft 607

132.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.14 Ft 693

-22.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$2.30 Ft 744

125.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.04 Ft 1,304

18.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.02 Ft 329

169.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$0.99 Ft 320

210.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.58 Ft 510

33.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.70 Ft 225

231.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 $10.62

$8.03 Ft 2,594

32.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$6.18 Ft 1,997

155.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.24 Ft 401

118.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.06 Ft 666

120.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.59 Ft 513

40.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.43 Ft 1,110

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.33 Ft 431

53.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.95 $43.95

$20.45 Ft 6,607

114.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.93 Ft 624

-45.60%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

6.44%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-26.06%

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

$177 $177

$175 Ft 56.4K

1.17%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$23.62 Ft 7,631

126.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 $45.43

$23.60 Ft 7,625

92.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 $45.55

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-33.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$10.31 Ft 3,333

47.24%

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

$1,713 $1,713

$535 Ft 172.9K

219.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

36.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-34.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 $49.73

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

14.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$112 Ft 36.1K

-5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$119 Ft 38.4K

3.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 $1,483

$832 Ft 268.8K

78.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 $1,199

$629 Ft 203.3K

90.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 $2,267

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

42.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

76.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,043 $3,043

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-46.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,086 $2,086

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-47.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.45

3.72%

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

Last update for Mundelein, IL: 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

Mundelein, IL

$1.2K 49.2%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 47.5% $569

Groceries & Markets

Mundelein, IL

$416 17.1%

Budapest

$262 16% 37% $154

Eating Out

Mundelein, IL

$295 12.1%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 23.4% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mundelein, IL

$276 11.3%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 19.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Mundelein, IL

$154 6.3%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Mundelein, IL

$76 3.1%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 17.9% $14

Getting Around

Mundelein, IL

$23 * 1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 90.5% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,483 in Mundelein, 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 $54.0 in Mundelein, IL versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $416 in Mundelein, IL vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mundelein, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

06:46 6:46 AM

7 h ahead of Mundelein, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,560

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 →

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Mundelein, IL Budapest 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,658 per month in Mundelein, 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 $54.0 in Mundelein, 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 59% more in Mundelein, 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 Mundelein, IL at $2,438. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mundelein, 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, Mundelein, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.