Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Myrtle Beach, SC and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,475 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Myrtle Beach, SC
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Myrtle Beach, SC Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Myrtle Beach, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,475

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,475 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Myrtle Beach, SC $2,475
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,452 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Myrtle Beach, SC $3,452
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Myrtle Beach, SC $4,429
Budapest $3,489

Myrtle Beach, SC costs about 53% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Myrtle Beach, SC and Budapest sit above the global median – Myrtle Beach, SC by 85%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 $17.88

$13.99 Ft 4,551

27.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

22.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 $11.18

$9.96 Ft 3,241

12.25%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$3.38 Ft 1,100

55.03%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$2.13 Ft 692

22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.87 Ft 608

20.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.75 Ft 1,221

55.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.57 Ft 1,162

94.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.13 Ft 368

-15.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.84 Ft 599

72.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.39 Ft 777

33.05%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$3.83 Ft 1,245

2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 $12.89

$11.33 Ft 3,686

13.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 $10.59

$6.74 Ft 2,192

57.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.69 Ft 4,780

1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.84 Ft 597

179.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.01 Ft 653

-36.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.36 Ft 767

83.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$3.77 Ft 1,226

18.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$0.96 Ft 313

301.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.03 Ft 334

177.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.56 Ft 509

16.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.66 Ft 216

246.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 $7.29

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 $12.77

$6.01 Ft 1,954

112.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.30 Ft 421

43.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.08 Ft 676

0.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-7.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.30 Ft 424

46.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.97 $29.97

$19.78 Ft 6,436

51.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.81 Ft 591

-49.17%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-6.38%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-31.84%

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

$156 $156

$170 Ft 55.3K

-8.18%

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

$68.0 $68.0

$23.98 Ft 7,802

183.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 $79.3

$23.42 Ft 7,621

238.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 $51.7

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-21.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 $14.88

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-22.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 $11.27

$9.52 Ft 3,098

18.38%

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

$1,483 $1,483

$537 Ft 174.6K

176.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

49.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$101 Ft 33.0K

-49.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 $37.81

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-12.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 $84.5

$113 Ft 36.7K

-25.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 $89.3

$119 Ft 38.6K

-24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$805 Ft 262.0K

90.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 $1,268

$629 Ft 204.7K

101.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,409 $2,409

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

55.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 $1,777

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

52.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,437 $2,437

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-56.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,277 $2,277

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-42.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,593 $3,593

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

121.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.43

0.78%

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

Last update for Myrtle Beach, SC: 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

Myrtle Beach, SC

$1.3K 51.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 50.4% $638

Groceries & Markets

Myrtle Beach, SC

$370 15.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 30.4% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Myrtle Beach, SC

$303 12.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 28.4% $86

Eating Out

Myrtle Beach, SC

$302 12.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 25.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Myrtle Beach, SC

$118 4.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 43.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Myrtle Beach, SC

$74 3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 14.8% $11

Getting Around

Myrtle Beach, SC

$13 * 0.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 244% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,536 in Myrtle Beach, SC 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 121% higher in Myrtle Beach, SC, 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 Myrtle Beach, SC versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Myrtle Beach, SC

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

19:36 7:36 PM

6 h ahead of Myrtle Beach, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,175

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 11, 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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Between locations

Myrtle Beach, SC Budapest 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Myrtle Beach, SC
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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

Myrtle Beach, SC vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Myrtle Beach, SC is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,712 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Myrtle Beach, SC and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Myrtle Beach, SC, 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 $1,621, than in Myrtle Beach, SC at $2,475. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Myrtle Beach, SC 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, Myrtle Beach, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.