Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,675 in Springfield, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, IL
Learn more

Springfield, IL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Springfield, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,675

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,675 per month in Springfield, IL vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Springfield, IL $2,675
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,965 per month in Springfield, IL vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Springfield, IL $3,965
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,255 per month in Springfield, IL vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Springfield, IL $5,255
Budapest $3,489

Springfield, IL costs about 65% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Springfield, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Springfield, IL by 100%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 $14.54

$13.99 Ft 4,554

3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 $42.11

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-30.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$9.96 Ft 3,244

2.31%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.38 Ft 1,101

62.13%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$2.13 Ft 693

-4.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.87 Ft 609

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.57 Ft 1,163

13.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.13 Ft 369

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.84 Ft 599

82.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.39 Ft 777

271.55%

Eggs

$3.17 $3.17

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-17.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.33 $19.33

$11.33 Ft 3,688

70.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.04 $17.04

$6.74 Ft 2,193

152.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.92 $32.92

$14.69 Ft 4,783

124.10%

Apples (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$1.84 Ft 598

362.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.01 Ft 654

-35.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$2.36 Ft 767

278.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$3.77 Ft 1,227

51.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$0.96 Ft 314

237.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.03 Ft 335

329.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.56 Ft 509

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.66 Ft 216

156.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 $9.98

$7.96 Ft 2,593

25.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 $11.21

$6.01 Ft 1,955

86.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.30 Ft 422

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.08 Ft 677

-22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.50 Ft 489

-14.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 $40.33

$27.61 Ft 8,989

46.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 $5.74

$3.30 Ft 1,075

73.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.30 Ft 424

-20.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.25 $18.25

$19.78 Ft 6,441

-7.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.81 Ft 591

-50.28%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

23.38%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-22.80%

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

$232 $232

$170 Ft 55.3K

36.27%

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

$95.0 $95.0

$23.98 Ft 7,808

296.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$23.42 Ft 7,627

174.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 $50.5

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-23.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$19.18 Ft 6,244

5.01%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 $12.45

$9.52 Ft 3,101

30.78%

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

$941 $941

$537 Ft 174.8K

75.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 $106

$101 Ft 33.0K

5.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 $55.3

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

28.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$113 Ft 36.7K

10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$119 Ft 38.7K

17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

$805 Ft 262.2K

12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 $1,137

$629 Ft 204.9K

80.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 $1,863

$1,549 Ft 504.5K

20.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,192 $2,192

$1,167 Ft 380.0K

87.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,175 $3,175

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-43.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,176 $1,176

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-70.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,963 $3,963

$1,626 Ft 529.4K

143.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.43

1.87%

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

Last update for Springfield, IL: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Springfield, IL

$1.1K 43.3%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 44.7% $508

Groceries & Markets

Springfield, IL

$524 20%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 50.9% $267

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springfield, IL

$391 14.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 44.4% $173

Eating Out

Springfield, IL

$250 9.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 10.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Springfield, IL

$192 7.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 11.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Springfield, IL

$75 2.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 13.1% $9.9

Getting Around

Springfield, IL

$56 2.2%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 22.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $910 in Springfield, IL 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 144% higher in Springfield, 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 $42.00 in Springfield, IL versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $524 in Springfield, IL vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Springfield, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

09:41 9:41 AM

7 h ahead of Springfield, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,482

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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Springfield, IL Budapest 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Springfield, 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

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

Yes – Springfield, IL is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,013 per month in Springfield, IL 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 46% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $941 per month in Springfield, IL 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 Springfield, IL at $2,675. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Springfield, 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, Springfield, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.