Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newark, DE and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,598 in Newark, DE, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Newark, DE
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Newark, DE Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Newark, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,598

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,598 per month in Newark, DE vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Newark, DE $2,598
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,550 per month in Newark, DE vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Newark, DE $3,550
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,503 per month in Newark, DE vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Newark, DE $4,503
Budapest $3,483

Newark, DE costs about 58% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Newark, DE and Budapest sit above the global median – Newark, DE by 92%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.20 $16.20

$14.04 Ft 4,536

15.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 $59.3

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 $8.73

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-15.81%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$3.46 Ft 1,117

49.71%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$2.07 Ft 669

15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.77 Ft 572

-0.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.69 Ft 1,191

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.80 Ft 1,229

60.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.16 Ft 374

-25.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.85 Ft 598

5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.40 Ft 776

13.75%

Eggs

$3.81 $3.81

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-4.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 $8.74

$6.87 Ft 2,221

27.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$14.49 Ft 4,682

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.88 Ft 607

143.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.14 Ft 693

-37.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.30 Ft 744

98.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-3.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.02 Ft 329

149.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.99 Ft 320

158.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.58 Ft 510

17.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.70 Ft 225

97.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 $13.71

$8.03 Ft 2,594

70.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 $14.34

$6.18 Ft 1,997

132.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.24 Ft 401

41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.06 Ft 666

79.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 $4.11

$1.59 Ft 513

158.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 $60.4

$27.52 Ft 8,893

119.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.43 Ft 1,110

43.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.33 Ft 431

-16.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.12 $23.12

$20.45 Ft 6,607

13.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.93 Ft 624

-48.70%

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

$17.3K $17.3K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-40.56%

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

$20.9K $20.9K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-39.80%

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

$223 $223

$175 Ft 56.4K

27.44%

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

$49.59 $49.59

$23.62 Ft 7,631

109.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 $51.1

$23.60 Ft 7,625

116.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 $13.20

$10.31 Ft 3,333

28.03%

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

$1,950 $1,950

$535 Ft 172.9K

264.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K $27.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

65.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.75 $45.75

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-54.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.34 $40.34

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-6.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 $86.0

$112 Ft 36.1K

-23.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$119 Ft 38.4K

8.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 $1,523

$832 Ft 268.8K

83.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 $1,434

$629 Ft 203.3K

127.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,652 $2,652

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

67.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 $2,009

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

67.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,516 $2,516

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-56.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,164 $2,164

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-45.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,249 $4,249

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

148.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.45

0.16%

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

Last update for Newark, DE: October 17, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newark, DE

$1.4K 55.2%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 56.1% $805

Groceries & Markets

Newark, DE

$324 12.5%

Budapest

$262 16% 19.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newark, DE

$323 12.4%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 31.4% $101

Eating Out

Newark, DE

$267 10.3%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 15.3% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Newark, DE

$136 5.2%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 24% $33

Getting Around

Newark, DE

$87 3.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 49.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Newark, DE

$26 * 1%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 239% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,523 in Newark, DE 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 148% higher in Newark, DE, 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 $59.0 in Newark, DE versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $324 in Newark, DE vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newark, DE

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

23:20 11:20 PM

6 h ahead of Newark, DE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

311,549

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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

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Between locations

Newark, DE Budapest 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Newark, DE
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

Newark, DE vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Newark, DE is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,896 per month in Newark, DE 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.

Public transport costs about 119% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,950 per month in Newark, DE and $535 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 $1,641, than in Newark, DE at $2,598. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newark, DE 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, Newark, DE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.