Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth, NH and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,779 in Portsmouth, NH, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth, NH
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Portsmouth, NH Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Portsmouth, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,779

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,779 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $2,779
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $4,019 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $4,019
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $5,259 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $5,259
Budapest $3,429

Portsmouth, NH costs about 72% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Portsmouth, NH and Budapest sit above the global median – Portsmouth, NH by 106%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.79 $20.79

$13.94 Ft 4,503

49.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

65.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 $8.77

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-13.94%

Cappuccino

$3.88 $3.88

$3.26 Ft 1,055

19.02%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.14 Ft 690

20.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.78 Ft 577

-15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.71 Ft 1,198

84.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$3.77 Ft 1,217

102.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.15 Ft 371

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$5.28 $5.28

$1.79 Ft 578

194.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.49 Ft 804

67.87%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 $11.20

$11.10 Ft 3,587

0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 $12.87

$6.62 Ft 2,139

94.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 $17.37

$14.69 Ft 4,745

18.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$1.83 Ft 591

188.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.05 Ft 661

4.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.37 Ft 765

97.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.90 Ft 1,260

10.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.99 Ft 320

58.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.00 Ft 322

164.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.58 Ft 511

54.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.67 Ft 216

343.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 $14.22

$7.96 Ft 2,572

78.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 $15.72

$6.22 Ft 2,009

152.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.27 Ft 411

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.03 Ft 654

-1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.31 Ft 1,070

79.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.83 $4.83

$1.37 Ft 442

252.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.82 Ft 589

-52.75%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

24.50%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-23.20%

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

$195 $195

$171 Ft 55.3K

14.12%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$23.51 Ft 7,596

123.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 $53.1

$23.29 Ft 7,526

127.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.52 $24.52

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-63.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 $12.03

$9.30 Ft 3,004

29.35%

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

$826 $826

$533 Ft 172.3K

54.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K $33.8K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

101.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.06 $25.06

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-74.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.36 $37.36

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-14.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.1 $51.1

$110 Ft 35.7K

-53.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 $80.0

$119 Ft 38.4K

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$830 Ft 268.3K

158.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$622 Ft 200.9K

154.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,227 $4,227

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

165.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

109.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,838 $4,838

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-17.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,081 $3,081

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-20.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,066 $6,066

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

267.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.45

-5.43%

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

Last update for Portsmouth, NH: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portsmouth, NH

$1.6K 56.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 60.7% $959

Groceries & Markets

Portsmouth, NH

$426 15.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 39.5% $168

Eating Out

Portsmouth, NH

$305 11%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 26.9% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portsmouth, NH

$301 10.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 27.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Portsmouth, NH

$87 3.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 92.4% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Portsmouth, NH

$49 1.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 77.3% $38

Getting Around

Portsmouth, NH

$30 * 1.1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 47.1% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,149 in Portsmouth, NH versus $830 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 267% higher in Portsmouth, NH, 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 $101 in Portsmouth, NH versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $426 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, NH

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

6 h ahead of Portsmouth, NH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,535

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Portsmouth, NH Budapest 6,630 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Portsmouth, NH
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

Portsmouth, NH vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Portsmouth, NH is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,169 per month in Portsmouth, NH and $2,428 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 $101 in Portsmouth, NH 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 65% more in Portsmouth, NH, 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 $1,619, than in Portsmouth, NH at $2,779. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portsmouth, NH 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, Portsmouth, NH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.