Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Staunton, VA and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,166 in Staunton, VA, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Staunton, VA
Learn more

Staunton, VA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Staunton, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,166 per month in Staunton, VA vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Staunton, VA $2,166
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $3,239 per month in Staunton, VA vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Staunton, VA $3,239
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $4,312 per month in Staunton, VA vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Staunton, VA $4,312
Budapest $3,489

Staunton, VA costs about 34% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Staunton, VA and Budapest sit above the global median – Staunton, VA by 62%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$13.99 Ft 4,554

41.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 $81.5

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

35.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$9.96 Ft 3,244

29.42%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$3.38 Ft 1,101

64.79%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.13 Ft 693

43.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.87 Ft 609

33.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.75 Ft 1,222

6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.57 Ft 1,163

50.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.13 Ft 369

-2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.84 Ft 599

83.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.39 Ft 777

63.18%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$3.83 Ft 1,246

22.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 $11.50

$11.33 Ft 3,688

1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.07 $15.07

$6.74 Ft 2,193

123.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.34 $15.34

$14.69 Ft 4,783

4.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$1.84 Ft 598

238.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.01 Ft 654

-26.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.36 Ft 767

70.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.77 Ft 1,227

12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.96 Ft 314

132.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.03 Ft 335

155.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.56 Ft 509

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.66 Ft 216

272.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$7.96 Ft 2,593

15.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.77 $15.77

$6.01 Ft 1,955

162.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.30 Ft 422

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.08 Ft 677

56.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,989

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.30 Ft 1,075

49.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.30 Ft 424

133.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 $35.25

$19.78 Ft 6,441

78.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.81 Ft 591

-53.04%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-20.85%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-29.02%

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

$175 $175

$170 Ft 55.3K

3.27%

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

$38.92 $38.92

$23.98 Ft 7,808

62.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 $30.21

$23.42 Ft 7,627

28.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 $44.55

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-32.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,244

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 $13.65

$9.52 Ft 3,101

43.38%

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

$3,210 $3,210

$537 Ft 174.8K

498.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$64.1K $64.1K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

286.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 $89.1

$101 Ft 33.0K

-12.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 $140

$113 Ft 36.7K

24.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$119 Ft 38.7K

28.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 $1,337

$805 Ft 262.2K

66.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 $900

$629 Ft 204.9K

43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,549 Ft 504.5K

8.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 $1,472

$1,167 Ft 380.0K

26.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,216 $2,216

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-60.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,271 $2,271

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-42.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,980 $3,980

$1,626 Ft 529.4K

144.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.99

6.43

8.71%

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

Last update for Staunton, VA: 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

Staunton, VA

$900 41.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 30.1% $271

Groceries & Markets

Staunton, VA

$409 18.9%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 37% $151

Eating Out

Staunton, VA

$316 14.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 29.1% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staunton, VA

$245 11.3%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 11.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Staunton, VA

$197 9.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 14.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Staunton, VA

$72 3.3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 18.7% $13

Getting Around

Staunton, VA

$20 * 0.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 116% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,337 in Staunton, VA 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 145% higher in Staunton, VA, 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 $81.0 in Staunton, VA versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Staunton, VA

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

11:45 11:45 AM

6 h ahead of Staunton, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,528

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

Staunton, VA Budapest 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Staunton, VA
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

Staunton, VA vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Staunton, VA is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,248 per month in Staunton, VA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Staunton, VA and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Staunton, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Staunton, VA at $2,166. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staunton, VA 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, Staunton, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.