Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between State College, PA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,409 in State College, PA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in State College, PA
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State College, PA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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State College, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,409

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,409 per month in State College, PA vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

State College, PA $2,409
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,588 per month in State College, PA vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

State College, PA $3,588
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,767 per month in State College, PA vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

State College, PA $4,767
Budapest $3,489

State College, PA costs about 49% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both State College, PA and Budapest sit above the global median – State College, PA by 80%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 $14.86

$13.99 Ft 4,555

6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 $65.6

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

8.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 $9.54

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-4.22%

Cappuccino

$3.45 $3.45

$3.38 Ft 1,102

2.07%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.13 Ft 693

14.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.87 Ft 609

-6.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 $6.78

$3.75 Ft 1,222

80.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$3.57 Ft 1,163

112.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.13 Ft 369

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.84 Ft 600

65.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.39 Ft 777

-15.48%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$3.83 Ft 1,246

3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-17.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 $9.25

$6.74 Ft 2,194

37.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$14.69 Ft 4,784

22.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.84 Ft 598

95.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.01 Ft 654

-33.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.36 Ft 767

93.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.77 Ft 1,227

7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.96 Ft 314

81.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.03 Ft 335

139.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.56 Ft 509

43.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.66 Ft 216

128.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.62 $11.62

$7.96 Ft 2,594

45.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 $14.47

$6.01 Ft 1,956

140.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.30 Ft 422

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.08 Ft 677

71.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.50 Ft 490

48.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 $84.5

$27.61 Ft 8,991

205.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.30 Ft 1,075

52.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.30 Ft 424

-17.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.90 $22.90

$19.78 Ft 6,442

15.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.81 Ft 591

-38.12%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

20.52%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-24.93%

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

$157 $157

$170 Ft 55.3K

-7.34%

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

$40.96 $40.96

$23.98 Ft 7,809

70.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$23.42 Ft 7,628

151.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.20 $25.20

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-61.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

Cinema Ticket

$16.41 $16.41

$9.52 Ft 3,101

72.37%

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

$1,029 $1,029

$537 Ft 174.8K

91.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

66.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.72 $46.72

$101 Ft 33.0K

-53.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 $40.65

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-5.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$113 Ft 36.7K

-29.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$119 Ft 38.7K

8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$805 Ft 262.2K

112.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$629 Ft 204.9K

101.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 $2,788

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

79.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

84.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,616 $2,616

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-53.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-39.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 $4,385

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

169.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.43

0.47%

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

Last update for State College, PA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

State College, PA

$1.3K 52.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 50.3% $638

Groceries & Markets

State College, PA

$341 14.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 24.4% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

State College, PA

$257 10.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 15.5% $40

Eating Out

State College, PA

$255 10.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 12% $30

Clothing & Footwear

State College, PA

$133 5.5%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 27% $36

Getting Around

State College, PA

$104 4.3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 58.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

State College, PA

$58 2.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 47% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,710 in State College, PA 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 170% higher in State College, PA, 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 $66.0 in State College, PA versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 State College, PA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

02:36 2:36 AM

6 h ahead of State College, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,501

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 = 326 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

State College, PA Budapest 7,240 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

State College, PA
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

State College, PA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – State College, PA is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,613 per month in State College, PA 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 206% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,029 per month in State College, PA 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 State College, PA at $2,409. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in State College, PA 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, State College, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.