Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $1,922 in Topeka, KS, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,922

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Topeka, KS vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Topeka, KS $1,922
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $2,865 per month in Topeka, KS vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Topeka, KS $2,865
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $3,807 per month in Topeka, KS vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Topeka, KS $3,807
Budapest $3,429

Topeka, KS costs about 19% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Topeka, KS and Budapest sit above the global median – Topeka, KS by 42%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.47 $13.47

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-3.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-3.14%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$3.26 Ft 1,055

4.29%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$2.14 Ft 690

5.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.78 Ft 577

-2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.71 Ft 1,198

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$3.77 Ft 1,217

133.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.15 Ft 371

-29.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.79 Ft 578

49.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.49 Ft 804

20.08%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$3.90 Ft 1,261

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-19.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 $8.24

$6.62 Ft 2,139

24.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$14.69 Ft 4,745

0.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$1.83 Ft 591

155.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.05 Ft 661

-23.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.37 Ft 765

116.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.90 Ft 1,260

7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$0.99 Ft 320

242.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.00 Ft 322

153.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.58 Ft 511

16.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.67 Ft 216

25.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$7.96 Ft 2,572

11.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$6.22 Ft 2,009

96.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.27 Ft 411

45.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.03 Ft 654

-19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.52 Ft 490

164.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 $50.3

$28.02 Ft 9,053

79.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-16.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.37 Ft 442

14.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 $33.70

$19.83 Ft 6,406

69.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.82 Ft 589

-48.35%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-19.47%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-26.17%

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

$143 $143

$171 Ft 55.3K

-16.26%

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

$48.04 $48.04

$23.51 Ft 7,596

104.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$23.29 Ft 7,526

183.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 $44.74

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-33.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 $15.30

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-19.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 $15.25

$9.30 Ft 3,004

63.98%

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

$438 $438

$533 Ft 172.3K

-17.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.30 $38.30

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-61.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 $28.87

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-33.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$110 Ft 35.7K

-19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 $80.8

$119 Ft 38.4K

-32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$830 Ft 268.3K

-4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 $853

$622 Ft 200.9K

37.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-18.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 $1,467

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

25.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,292 $1,292

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-77.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 $1,342

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-65.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,554 $3,554

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

115.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

6.45

-3.26%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$853 44.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 27.1% $231

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$319 16.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 19.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.4%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 15.3% $39

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 4.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 57.3% $61

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$77 4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 42.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$75 3.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 14.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $790 in Topeka, KS 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 115% higher in Topeka, KS, 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 $52.0 in Topeka, KS versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $319 in Topeka, KS vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

17:43 5:43 PM

7 h ahead of Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Topeka, KS Budapest 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
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

Topeka, KS vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Topeka, KS is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Topeka, KS 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.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $438 per month in Topeka, KS and $533 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 $1,619, than in Topeka, KS at $1,922. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Topeka, KS 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, Topeka, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.