Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapid City, SD and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,396 in Rapid City, SD, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Rapid City, SD
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Rapid City, SD Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Rapid City, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,396

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,396 per month in Rapid City, SD vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Rapid City, SD $2,396
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,381 per month in Rapid City, SD vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Rapid City, SD $3,381
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $4,366 per month in Rapid City, SD vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Rapid City, SD $4,366
Budapest $3,429

Rapid City, SD costs about 48% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rapid City, SD and Budapest sit above the global median – Rapid City, SD by 77%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 $17.25

$13.94 Ft 4,503

23.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 $63.5

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

3.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$10.19 Ft 3,291

8.24%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$3.26 Ft 1,055

73.01%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.14 Ft 690

13.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.78 Ft 577

0.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.71 Ft 1,198

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.77 Ft 1,217

48.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.15 Ft 371

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.79 Ft 578

70.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.49 Ft 804

-22.09%

Eggs

$4.44 $4.44

$3.90 Ft 1,261

13.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.10 Ft 3,587

16.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.62 Ft 2,139

18.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-12.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.83 Ft 591

93.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.05 Ft 661

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.37 Ft 765

13.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-7.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.99 Ft 320

95.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.00 Ft 322

148.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.58 Ft 511

37.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$0.67 Ft 216

332.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.72 $9.72

$7.96 Ft 2,572

22.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 $13.76

$6.22 Ft 2,009

121.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.27 Ft 411

39.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.03 Ft 654

144.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.52 Ft 490

-0.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.46 $30.46

$28.02 Ft 9,053

8.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-10.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.37 Ft 442

-8.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.76 $24.76

$19.83 Ft 6,406

24.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.82 Ft 589

-52.20%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

18.24%

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

$32.7K $32.7K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-3.41%

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

$195 $195

$171 Ft 55.3K

13.98%

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

$46.23 $46.23

$23.51 Ft 7,596

96.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 $62.8

$23.29 Ft 7,526

169.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 $51.0

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-24.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 $14.97

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-20.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$9.30 Ft 3,004

26.56%

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

$766 $766

$533 Ft 172.3K

43.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-37.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.4 $75.4

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

73.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$110 Ft 35.7K

-29.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$119 Ft 38.4K

-7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 $952

$830 Ft 268.3K

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 $1,200

$622 Ft 200.9K

92.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 $1,742

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

9.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

50.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,624 $2,624

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-55.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,599 $2,599

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-33.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,778 $3,778

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

128.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.45

-0.16%

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

Last update for Rapid City, SD: 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

Rapid City, SD

$1.2K 50.1%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 48.2% $578

Groceries & Markets

Rapid City, SD

$339 14.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 23.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rapid City, SD

$304 12.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 28.3% $86

Eating Out

Rapid City, SD

$287 12%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 22.2% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Rapid City, SD

$147 6.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 14.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Rapid City, SD

$75 3.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 15.6% $12

Getting Around

Rapid City, SD

$46 1.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 3.3% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Rapid City, SD 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 129% higher in Rapid City, SD, 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 $64.0 in Rapid City, SD versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rapid City, SD

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:53 11:53 AM

19:53 7:53 PM

8 h ahead of Rapid City, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,703

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

Rapid City, SD Budapest 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rapid City, SD
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

Rapid City, SD vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rapid City, SD is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,594 per month in Rapid City, SD 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.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $766 per month in Rapid City, SD and $533 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 $1,619, than in Rapid City, SD at $2,396. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rapid City, SD 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, Rapid City, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.