Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oak Park, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,585 in Oak Park, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Oak Park, IL
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Oak Park, IL Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Oak Park, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,585

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,585 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $2,585
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,781 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $3,781
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,977 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $4,977
Budapest $3,483

Oak Park, IL costs about 58% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Oak Park, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Oak Park, IL by 91%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$14.04 Ft 4,536

41.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

23.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 $11.41

$10.37 Ft 3,351

10.03%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.46 Ft 1,117

58.09%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$2.07 Ft 669

31.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.77 Ft 572

10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.69 Ft 1,191

63.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$3.80 Ft 1,229

88.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.16 Ft 374

-12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.85 Ft 598

91.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.40 Ft 776

75.83%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$3.99 Ft 1,289

3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 $14.11

$11.40 Ft 3,683

23.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$6.87 Ft 2,221

65.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$14.49 Ft 4,682

16.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$1.88 Ft 607

164.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.14 Ft 693

-26.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.30 Ft 744

91.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.04 Ft 1,304

10.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.02 Ft 329

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.99 Ft 320

177.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.58 Ft 510

21.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$0.70 Ft 225

262.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$8.03 Ft 2,594

15.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$6.18 Ft 1,997

139.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.24 Ft 401

79.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.06 Ft 666

67.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.59 Ft 513

7.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-21.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.33 Ft 431

48.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 $33.26

$20.45 Ft 6,607

62.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.93 Ft 624

-46.11%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-10.98%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-30.52%

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

$198 $198

$175 Ft 56.4K

13.19%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$23.62 Ft 7,631

150.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$23.60 Ft 7,625

199.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.92 $37.92

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-44.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 $12.41

$10.31 Ft 3,333

20.37%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$535 Ft 172.9K

172.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

37.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-46.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 $43.71

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$112 Ft 36.1K

-21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$119 Ft 38.4K

4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$832 Ft 268.8K

89.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$629 Ft 203.3K

108.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 $2,550

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

60.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 $2,168

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

81.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,118 $3,118

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-45.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,251 $2,251

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-42.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,703 $5,703

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

233.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.45

1.86%

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

Last update for Oak Park, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oak Park, IL

$1.3K 50.8%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 52% $683

Groceries & Markets

Oak Park, IL

$403 15.6%

Budapest

$262 16% 35% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oak Park, IL

$328 12.7%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 32.3% $106

Eating Out

Oak Park, IL

$322 12.5%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 29.6% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Oak Park, IL

$139 5.4%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 21.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Oak Park, IL

$63 2.4%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 42.6% $27

Getting Around

Oak Park, IL

$19 * 0.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 127% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in Oak Park, 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.

Salaries run about 233% higher in Oak Park, IL, 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 $75.0 in Oak Park, IL versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oak Park, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

17:32 5:32 PM

7 h ahead of Oak Park, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,583

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 →

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Between locations

Oak Park, IL Budapest 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Oak Park, IL
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

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

Yes – Oak Park, IL is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,877 per month in Oak Park, 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 $75.0 in Oak Park, 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 54% more in Oak Park, 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 Oak Park, IL at $2,585. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oak Park, 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, Oak Park, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.