Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taos, NM and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,793 in Taos, NM, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Taos, NM
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Taos, NM Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Taos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,793

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,793 per month in Taos, NM vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Taos, NM $2,793
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $4,132 per month in Taos, NM vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Taos, NM $4,132
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $5,471 per month in Taos, NM vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Taos, NM $5,471
Budapest $3,429

Taos, NM costs about 73% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Taos, NM and Budapest sit above the global median – Taos, NM by 107%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.74 $16.74

$13.94 Ft 4,503

20.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 $67.1

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

9.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 $9.52

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-6.58%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$3.26 Ft 1,055

22.09%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$2.14 Ft 690

2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.78 Ft 577

23.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.71 Ft 1,198

36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.77 Ft 1,217

44.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.15 Ft 371

-27.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.79 Ft 578

72.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.49 Ft 804

74.30%

Eggs

$3.99 $3.99

$3.90 Ft 1,261

2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 $11.87

$11.10 Ft 3,587

6.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$6.62 Ft 2,139

46.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-24.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.83 Ft 591

159.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.05 Ft 661

-28.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.37 Ft 765

79.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.90 Ft 1,260

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$0.99 Ft 320

213.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.00 Ft 322

227.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.58 Ft 511

30.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.67 Ft 216

271.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 $10.52

$7.96 Ft 2,572

32.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 $13.72

$6.22 Ft 2,009

120.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.27 Ft 411

97.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.03 Ft 654

56.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.31 Ft 1,070

11.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.37 Ft 442

48.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.20 $32.20

$19.83 Ft 6,406

62.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.82 Ft 589

-47.80%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

2.58%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-27.80%

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

$161 $161

$171 Ft 55.3K

-6.18%

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

$62.8 $62.8

$23.51 Ft 7,596

167.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$23.29 Ft 7,526

164.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 $95.3

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

41.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 $8.63

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-7.20%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$533 Ft 172.3K

182.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

50.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-45.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 $43.88

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

0.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$110 Ft 35.7K

-6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$119 Ft 38.4K

0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 $1,806

$830 Ft 268.3K

117.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$622 Ft 200.9K

158.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,497 $3,497

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

119.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 $2,853

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

143.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,366 $4,366

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-25.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,376 $4,376

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

12.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,687 $2,687

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

62.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

6.45

-2.33%

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

Last update for Taos, NM: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taos, NM

$1.6K 57.6%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 61.3% $986

Groceries & Markets

Taos, NM

$365 13.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 29.3% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taos, NM

$285 10.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 23.5% $67

Eating Out

Taos, NM

$264 9.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 15.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Taos, NM

$145 5.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 15.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Taos, NM

$113 4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 23.5% $26

Getting Around

Taos, NM

$14 * 0.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 218% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,806 in Taos, NM versus $830 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 63% higher in Taos, NM, 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 $67.0 in Taos, NM versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Taos, NM

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

02:15 2:15 AM

8 h ahead of Taos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Taos, NM Budapest 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Taos, NM
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

Taos, NM vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taos, NM is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,190 per month in Taos, NM and $2,428 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 $67.0 in Taos, NM and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Taos, NM, 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 $1,619, than in Taos, NM at $2,793. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taos, NM 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, Taos, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.