Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $42,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Budapest $3,489

New York, NY costs about 217% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Budapest sit above the global median – New York, NY by 284%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$13.99 Ft 4,555

89.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

96.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$9.96 Ft 3,244

44.88%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$3.38 Ft 1,102

93.79%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.13 Ft 693

80.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.87 Ft 609

60.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$3.75 Ft 1,222

120.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$3.57 Ft 1,163

181.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.13 Ft 369

15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.84 Ft 600

166.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$2.39 Ft 777

199.58%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$3.83 Ft 1,246

54.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$11.33 Ft 3,689

68.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$6.74 Ft 2,194

157.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$14.69 Ft 4,784

28.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$1.84 Ft 598

278.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.01 Ft 654

3.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.36 Ft 767

158.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.77 Ft 1,227

84.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$0.96 Ft 314

314.58%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.03 Ft 335

331.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.56 Ft 509

80.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.66 Ft 216

280.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$7.96 Ft 2,594

142.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$6.01 Ft 1,956

227.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.30 Ft 422

136.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.08 Ft 677

76.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.50 Ft 490

101.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$27.61 Ft 8,991

405.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-6.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.30 Ft 424

63.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$19.78 Ft 6,442

108.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.81 Ft 591

-38.67%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

19.32%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-25.54%

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

$217 $217

$170 Ft 55.3K

27.98%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$23.98 Ft 7,809

208.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$23.42 Ft 7,628

209.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

81.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$19.18 Ft 6,245

248.75%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$9.52 Ft 3,101

134.45%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$537 Ft 174.8K

538.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

268.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-24.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

28.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$113 Ft 36.7K

5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$119 Ft 38.7K

9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$805 Ft 262.2K

459.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$629 Ft 204.9K

401.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

469.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

373.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

245.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

70.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

225.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.43

6.07%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 80.1% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 52.8% $288

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 46.9% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 40.3% $147

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 1.5% $2.6

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 73.7% $122

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 48.3% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY 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 225% higher in New York, NY, 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 $119 in New York, NY versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

03:16 3:16 AM

6 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

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 = 326 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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New York, NY Budapest 7,020 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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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

New York, NY vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 217%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,714 per month in New York, NY 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 405% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY 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 New York, NY at $5,142. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY 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, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.