Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester, MN and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,512 in Rochester, MN, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Rochester, MN
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Rochester, MN Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Rochester, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,512

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,512 per month in Rochester, MN vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Rochester, MN $2,512
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,838 per month in Rochester, MN vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Rochester, MN $3,838
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $5,164 per month in Rochester, MN vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Rochester, MN $5,164
Budapest $3,483

Rochester, MN costs about 53% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rochester, MN and Budapest sit above the global median – Rochester, MN by 85%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$14.04 Ft 4,536

42.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

20.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$10.37 Ft 3,351

6.65%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$3.46 Ft 1,117

68.50%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.07 Ft 669

36.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.77 Ft 572

38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.69 Ft 1,191

36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 $5.67

$3.80 Ft 1,229

49.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.16 Ft 374

-25.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.85 Ft 598

55.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.40 Ft 776

35.83%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-8.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 $9.31

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-18.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$6.87 Ft 2,221

77.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 $18.90

$14.49 Ft 4,682

30.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$1.88 Ft 607

176.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.14 Ft 693

-29.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.30 Ft 744

85.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-4.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.02 Ft 329

112.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$0.99 Ft 320

263.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.58 Ft 510

72.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.70 Ft 225

315.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$8.03 Ft 2,594

22.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$6.18 Ft 1,997

145.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.24 Ft 401

36.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.06 Ft 666

42.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 Ft 513

24.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 $42.25

$27.52 Ft 8,893

53.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-41.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.33 Ft 431

-4.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 $19.82

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-3.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.93 Ft 624

-55.44%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-6.59%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-25.84%

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

$169 $169

$175 Ft 56.4K

-2.94%

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

$47.11 $47.11

$23.62 Ft 7,631

99.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.05 $44.05

$23.60 Ft 7,625

86.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 $53.2

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-22.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.18 $20.18

$19.26 Ft 6,224

4.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 $10.09

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-2.13%

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

$1,352 $1,352

$535 Ft 172.9K

152.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-29.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 $62.4

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-37.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 $62.7

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

44.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$112 Ft 36.1K

-33.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 $86.4

$119 Ft 38.4K

-27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 $1,645

$832 Ft 268.8K

97.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$629 Ft 203.3K

104.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 $2,035

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

28.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 $2,380

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

98.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,165 $2,165

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-62.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,961 $1,961

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-50.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,617 $4,617

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

169.65%

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 Rochester, MN: 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

Rochester, MN

$1.3K 51.1%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 51% $655

Groceries & Markets

Rochester, MN

$386 15.4%

Budapest

$262 16% 32.2% $124

Eating Out

Rochester, MN

$321 12.8%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 29.4% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rochester, MN

$261 10.4%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 14.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Rochester, MN

$128 5.1%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 31% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Rochester, MN

$73 2.9%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 22% $16

Getting Around

Rochester, MN

$59 2.3%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 24.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,645 in Rochester, MN 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 170% higher in Rochester, MN, 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 $74.0 in Rochester, MN versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rochester, MN

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:39 6:39 AM

13:39 1:39 PM

7 h ahead of Rochester, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,328

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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Rochester, MN Budapest 7,840 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Rochester, MN
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rochester, MN vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rochester, MN is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,767 per month in Rochester, MN 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 54% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,352 per month in Rochester, MN 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 Rochester, MN at $2,512. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rochester, MN 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, Rochester, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.