Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,633 in Ottawa, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

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

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,633

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,633 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $2,633
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,645 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $3,645
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,657 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $4,657
Budapest $3,483

Ottawa, IL costs about 60% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Ottawa, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Ottawa, IL by 94%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 $14.83

$14.04 Ft 4,536

5.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

0.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-1.83%

Cappuccino

$4.76 $4.76

$3.46 Ft 1,117

37.57%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$2.07 Ft 669

8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.77 Ft 572

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.69 Ft 1,191

46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 $5.61

$3.80 Ft 1,229

47.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.16 Ft 374

-27.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.85 Ft 598

63.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.40 Ft 776

25.42%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-2.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 $12.23

$11.40 Ft 3,683

7.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-9.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.88 Ft 607

78.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.14 Ft 693

-33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.30 Ft 744

34.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.04 Ft 1,304

7.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.02 Ft 329

106.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.99 Ft 320

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.58 Ft 510

39.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.70 Ft 225

81.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.03 Ft 2,594

56.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$6.18 Ft 1,997

138.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.24 Ft 401

67.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.06 Ft 666

97.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.59 Ft 513

29.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-25.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.33 Ft 431

15.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.12 $33.12

$20.45 Ft 6,607

61.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.93 Ft 624

-39.38%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-5.80%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-21.82%

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

$234 $234

$175 Ft 56.4K

34.26%

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

$45.76 $45.76

$23.62 Ft 7,631

93.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$23.60 Ft 7,625

184.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 $39.21

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-43.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.53 $26.53

$19.26 Ft 6,224

37.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 $11.26

$10.31 Ft 3,333

9.21%

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

$1,001 $1,001

$535 Ft 172.9K

86.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

16.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.96 $47.96

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-51.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 $46.88

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

8.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$112 Ft 36.1K

2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$119 Ft 38.4K

1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 $1,641

$832 Ft 268.8K

97.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 $1,483

$629 Ft 203.3K

135.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,846 $2,846

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

79.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

84.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,779 $2,779

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-51.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,237 $2,237

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-43.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,448 $2,448

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

42.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.45

5.74%

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

Last update for Ottawa, IL: 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

Ottawa, IL

$1.5K 56.3%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 57.6% $854

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa, IL

$347 13.2%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 36.1% $125

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa, IL

$314 11.9%

Budapest

$262 16% 16.7% $52

Eating Out

Ottawa, IL

$260 9.9%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 13% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa, IL

$149 5.7%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 13% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa, IL

$62 2.3%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 44.9% $28

Getting Around

Ottawa, IL

$18 * 0.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 138% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Ottawa, 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 43% higher in Ottawa, 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 $61.0 in Ottawa, IL versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Ottawa, IL vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

05:12 5:12 AM

7 h ahead of Ottawa, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

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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Between locations

Ottawa, IL Budapest 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa, 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

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

Yes – Ottawa, IL is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,950 per month in Ottawa, 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 $61.0 in Ottawa, 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 20% more in Ottawa, 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 Ottawa, IL at $2,633. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa, 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, Ottawa, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.