Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Streamwood, IL and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $2,519 in Streamwood, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Streamwood, IL
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Streamwood, IL Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Streamwood, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,519

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,519 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $2,519
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $3,740 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $3,740
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $4,961 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $4,961
Budapest $3,483

Streamwood, IL costs about 54% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Streamwood, IL and Budapest sit above the global median – Streamwood, IL by 86%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$14.04 Ft 4,536

41.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

24.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$10.37 Ft 3,351

15.14%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$3.46 Ft 1,117

55.78%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.07 Ft 669

46.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.77 Ft 572

41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.69 Ft 1,191

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.80 Ft 1,229

105.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.16 Ft 374

-19.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.85 Ft 598

88.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.40 Ft 776

22.08%

Eggs

$3.57 $3.57

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-11.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 $11.30

$6.87 Ft 2,221

64.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.36 $14.36

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-0.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.88 Ft 607

154.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.14 Ft 693

-21.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.30 Ft 744

93.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$4.04 Ft 1,304

19.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.02 Ft 329

169.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$0.99 Ft 320

212.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.58 Ft 510

-2.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.70 Ft 225

112.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 $10.86

$8.03 Ft 2,594

35.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$6.18 Ft 1,997

96.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.24 Ft 401

37.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.06 Ft 666

112.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.59 Ft 513

28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.10 $40.10

$27.52 Ft 8,893

45.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.43 Ft 1,110

18.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.33 Ft 431

54.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.25 $44.25

$20.45 Ft 6,607

116.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.93 Ft 624

-43.52%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-14.37%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-27.54%

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

$173 $173

$175 Ft 56.4K

-0.88%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$23.62 Ft 7,631

115.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 $54.9

$23.60 Ft 7,625

132.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 $41.70

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-39.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.19 $8.19

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-57.48%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$10.31 Ft 3,333

47.72%

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

$1,505 $1,505

$535 Ft 172.9K

181.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

38.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 $56.8

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-43.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 $45.21

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 $98.2

$112 Ft 36.1K

-12.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$119 Ft 38.4K

-14.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$832 Ft 268.8K

94.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$629 Ft 203.3K

104.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,495 $2,495

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

57.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

82.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-52.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-40.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,119 $7,119

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

315.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.45

-0.31%

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

Last update for Streamwood, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Streamwood, IL

$1.3K 51.1%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 51.1% $658

Groceries & Markets

Streamwood, IL

$356 14.1%

Budapest

$262 16% 26.5% $94

Eating Out

Streamwood, IL

$326 13%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 30.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Streamwood, IL

$279 11.1%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 20.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Streamwood, IL

$136 5.4%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 23.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Streamwood, IL

$72 2.9%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 24% $17

Getting Around

Streamwood, IL

$63 2.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 29.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,616 in Streamwood, IL 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 316% higher in Streamwood, 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 $76.0 in Streamwood, IL versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $262 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Streamwood, IL

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

01:26 1:26 AM

7 h ahead of Streamwood, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,535

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Between locations

Streamwood, IL Budapest 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Streamwood, IL
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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

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

Yes – Streamwood, IL is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,778 per month in Streamwood, IL 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 46% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,505 per month in Streamwood, IL 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 Streamwood, IL at $2,519. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Streamwood, 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, Streamwood, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.