Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Syracuse, NY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,032 in Syracuse, NY, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Syracuse, NY
Learn more

Syracuse, NY Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Syracuse, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,032

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,032 per month in Syracuse, NY vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Syracuse, NY $3,032
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,117 per month in Syracuse, NY vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Syracuse, NY $4,117
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $5,202 per month in Syracuse, NY vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Syracuse, NY $5,202
Budapest $3,489

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

Both Syracuse, NY and Budapest sit above the global median – Syracuse, NY by 126%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.86 $17.86

$13.99 Ft 4,551

27.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 $77.7

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

28.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$9.96 Ft 3,241

22.19%

Cappuccino

$5.99 $5.99

$3.38 Ft 1,100

77.22%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$2.13 Ft 692

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.87 Ft 608

7.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.75 Ft 1,221

82.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 $7.69

$3.57 Ft 1,162

115.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.13 Ft 368

-22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.84 Ft 599

80.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.39 Ft 777

91.21%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$3.83 Ft 1,245

4.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-2.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$6.74 Ft 2,192

100.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.15 $18.15

$14.69 Ft 4,780

23.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$1.84 Ft 597

245.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.01 Ft 653

-31.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.36 Ft 767

118.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$3.77 Ft 1,226

81.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$0.96 Ft 313

202.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.03 Ft 334

266.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.56 Ft 509

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$0.66 Ft 216

295.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.54 $14.54

$7.96 Ft 2,591

82.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$6.01 Ft 1,954

147.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.30 Ft 421

133.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.08 Ft 676

123.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.50 Ft 489

82.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 $115

$27.61 Ft 8,982

317.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.30 Ft 1,074

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.30 Ft 424

68.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$19.78 Ft 6,436

50.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.81 Ft 591

-38.67%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

21.82%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-22.77%

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

$234 $234

$170 Ft 55.3K

37.89%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$23.98 Ft 7,802

142.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$23.42 Ft 7,621

214.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 $53.9

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-18.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.41 $32.41

$19.18 Ft 6,239

68.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$9.52 Ft 3,098

54.52%

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

$1,708 $1,708

$537 Ft 174.6K

218.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

6.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$101 Ft 33.0K

-45.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.56 $47.56

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

10.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 $96.0

$113 Ft 36.7K

-14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$119 Ft 38.6K

3.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 $1,706

$805 Ft 262.0K

111.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 $1,525

$629 Ft 204.7K

142.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,214 $3,214

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

107.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

68.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,784 $1,784

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-68.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,895 $1,895

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-52.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,627 $3,627

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

123.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.43

3.73%

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

Last update for Syracuse, NY: 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

Syracuse, NY

$1.5K 50.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 58.7% $896

Groceries & Markets

Syracuse, NY

$440 14.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 41.5% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Syracuse, NY

$366 12.1%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 40.6% $149

Eating Out

Syracuse, NY

$320 10.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 29.9% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Syracuse, NY

$145 4.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 16.8% $24

Getting Around

Syracuse, NY

$141 4.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 69.2% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Syracuse, NY

$83 2.8%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 2.4% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,706 in Syracuse, NY 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 123% higher in Syracuse, NY, 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 $78.0 in Syracuse, NY versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $440 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Syracuse, NY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

6 h ahead of Syracuse, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,620

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Syracuse, NY Budapest 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Syracuse, NY
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

Syracuse, NY vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,548 per month in Syracuse, NY 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 318% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,708 per month in Syracuse, NY 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 Syracuse, NY at $3,032. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Syracuse, NY 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, Syracuse, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.