Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Troy, NY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,388 in Troy, NY, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Troy, NY
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Troy, NY Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Troy, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,388 per month in Troy, NY vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Troy, NY $2,388
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,919 per month in Troy, NY vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Troy, NY $3,919
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $5,451 per month in Troy, NY vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Troy, NY $5,451
Budapest $3,429

Troy, NY costs about 47% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Troy, NY and Budapest sit above the global median – Troy, NY by 77%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.23 $18.23

$13.94 Ft 4,503

30.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

23.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 $12.04

$10.19 Ft 3,291

18.16%

Cappuccino

$6.58 $6.58

$3.26 Ft 1,055

101.84%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.14 Ft 690

22.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.78 Ft 577

13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.71 Ft 1,198

87.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 $7.69

$3.77 Ft 1,217

103.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.15 Ft 371

-7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.79 Ft 578

79.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.49 Ft 804

74.30%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$3.90 Ft 1,261

2.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 $11.13

$11.10 Ft 3,587

0.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$6.62 Ft 2,139

103.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$14.69 Ft 4,745

19.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$1.83 Ft 591

160.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.05 Ft 661

-32.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.37 Ft 765

125.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.90 Ft 1,260

22.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.99 Ft 320

205.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.00 Ft 322

269.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.58 Ft 511

39.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.67 Ft 216

195.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.27 $14.27

$7.96 Ft 2,572

79.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 $14.11

$6.22 Ft 2,009

126.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.27 Ft 411

62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.03 Ft 654

96.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.52 Ft 490

-15.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$28.02 Ft 9,053

130.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.31 Ft 1,070

13.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.37 Ft 442

0.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.54 $30.54

$19.83 Ft 6,406

54.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.82 Ft 589

-38.46%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

19.59%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-23.41%

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

$214 $214

$171 Ft 55.3K

24.99%

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

$59.3 $59.3

$23.51 Ft 7,596

152.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$23.29 Ft 7,526

221.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 $44.04

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-34.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$9.30 Ft 3,004

63.01%

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

$1,502 $1,502

$533 Ft 172.3K

181.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K $17.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

2.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 $54.7

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-45.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 $47.68

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$110 Ft 35.7K

-9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$119 Ft 38.4K

3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$830 Ft 268.3K

55.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$622 Ft 200.9K

61.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 $3,046

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

91.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,439 $2,439

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

108.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,537 $2,537

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-56.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,516 $2,516

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-35.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,603 $7,603

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

360.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.45

3.26%

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

Last update for Troy, NY: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Troy, NY

$1K 42.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 38.2% $384

Groceries & Markets

Troy, NY

$403 16.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 35.9% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Troy, NY

$348 14.6%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 37.4% $130

Eating Out

Troy, NY

$330 13.8%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 32.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Troy, NY

$146 6.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 14.7% $22

Getting Around

Troy, NY

$80 3.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 45% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Troy, NY

$74 3.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 15.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,293 in Troy, NY 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 360% higher in Troy, 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 $76.0 in Troy, NY versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Troy, NY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

16:52 4:52 PM

6 h ahead of Troy, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,401

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Troy, NY Budapest 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Troy, 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

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

Yes – Troy, NY is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,581 per month in Troy, NY 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 131% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,502 per month in Troy, NY 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 Troy, NY at $2,388. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Troy, 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, Troy, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.