Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,026 in Sacramento, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Sacramento, CA
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Sacramento, CA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sacramento, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,026

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,026 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $3,026
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,529 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $4,529
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $6,031 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $6,031
Budapest $3,489

Sacramento, CA costs about 87% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sacramento, CA and Budapest sit above the global median – Sacramento, CA by 126%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$13.99 Ft 4,551

52.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

67.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.96 Ft 3,241

24.00%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$3.38 Ft 1,100

55.03%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$2.13 Ft 692

32.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.87 Ft 608

60.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.75 Ft 1,221

112.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$3.57 Ft 1,162

127.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.13 Ft 368

14.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.84 Ft 599

120.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.39 Ft 777

87.87%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$3.83 Ft 1,245

52.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.33 Ft 3,686

32.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$6.74 Ft 2,192

124.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 $18.60

$14.69 Ft 4,780

26.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$1.84 Ft 597

180.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.01 Ft 653

1.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.36 Ft 767

83.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$3.77 Ft 1,226

47.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$0.96 Ft 313

295.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.03 Ft 334

211.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.56 Ft 509

62.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$0.66 Ft 216

312.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$7.96 Ft 2,591

48.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 $13.74

$6.01 Ft 1,954

128.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.30 Ft 421

100.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.08 Ft 676

71.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.50 Ft 489

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 $99.8

$27.61 Ft 8,982

261.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.30 Ft 1,074

17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.30 Ft 424

43.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.27 $25.27

$19.78 Ft 6,436

27.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.81 Ft 591

-13.81%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

26.91%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-19.77%

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

$231 $231

$170 Ft 55.3K

35.66%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$23.98 Ft 7,802

145.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$23.42 Ft 7,621

199.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 $41.81

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-36.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.35 $41.35

$19.18 Ft 6,239

115.59%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 $16.79

$9.52 Ft 3,098

76.37%

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

$1,527 $1,527

$537 Ft 174.6K

184.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

18.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$101 Ft 33.0K

-40.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 $46.39

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

7.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$113 Ft 36.7K

-16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$119 Ft 38.6K

7.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$805 Ft 262.0K

157.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$629 Ft 204.7K

149.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,264 $3,264

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

110.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

123.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,881 $4,881

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-13.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,459 $3,459

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-12.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,604 $4,604

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

183.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.43

2.49%

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

Last update for Sacramento, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sacramento, CA

$1.6K 50.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 59.9% $938

Groceries & Markets

Sacramento, CA

$463 15%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 44.3% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sacramento, CA

$360 11.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 39.6% $142

Eating Out

Sacramento, CA

$350 11.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 35.9% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Sacramento, CA

$148 4.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 14.5% $21

Getting Around

Sacramento, CA

$123 4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 64.7% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Sacramento, CA

$75 2.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 13.1% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,075 in Sacramento, CA versus $805 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 183% higher in Sacramento, CA, 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 Sacramento, CA versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sacramento, CA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

9 h ahead of Sacramento, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

524,943

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Sacramento, CA Budapest 9,680 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Sacramento, CA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sacramento, CA is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,539 per month in Sacramento, CA and $2,432 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 261% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,527 per month in Sacramento, CA and $537 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 $1,621, than in Sacramento, CA at $3,026. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sacramento, CA 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, Sacramento, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.