Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Hungary

Name: Hungary
Address: HU

For one person, living is cheaper in Hungary: $1,361 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Hungary
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Hungary Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Hungary

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Hungary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $1,361 in Hungary, rent included.

United States $2,734
Hungary $1,361

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $2,095 in Hungary, rent included.

United States $3,985
Hungary $2,095

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,830 in Hungary, rent included.

United States $5,235
Hungary $2,830

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Hungary ($1,015–$1,638), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 101% higher than in Hungary on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$12.28 Ft 4,049

63.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$53.8 Ft 17.8K

48.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$9.31 Ft 3,070

26.75%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.57 Ft 848

115.95%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.76 Ft 581

51.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.38 Ft 453

57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.73 Ft 899

124.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$2.67 Ft 880

197.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.21 Ft 397

-14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.56 Ft 515

130.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.29 Ft 754

97.38%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.50 Ft 1,152

22.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$10.50 Ft 3,461

25.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$6.44 Ft 2,124

95.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$14.32 Ft 4,722

22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.01 Ft 663

163.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.12 Ft 698

-20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.13 Ft 702

108.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.36 Ft 1,109

41.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.04 Ft 344

185.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.18 Ft 390

166.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.50 Ft 493

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.59 Ft 193

298.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$7.74 Ft 2,553

41.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$5.11 Ft 1,683

194.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.20 Ft 395

71.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.93 Ft 635

96.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.39 Ft 458

39.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$26.94 Ft 8,883

120.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.42 Ft 1,127

4.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.39 Ft 457

35.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$18.45 Ft 6,082

61.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.89 Ft 623

-46.03%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$27.7K Ft 9.1M

3.95%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.3K Ft 11.3M

-23.67%

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

$218 $218

$160 Ft 52.7K

36.45%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$25.56 Ft 8,428

144.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$22.47 Ft 7,409

231.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$53.1 Ft 17.5K

-21.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$16.16 Ft 5,326

41.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$8.74 Ft 2,881

68.19%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$399 Ft 131.4K

273.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$11.0K Ft 3.6M

129.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$87.0 Ft 28.7K

-37.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$35.59 Ft 11.7K

20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$93.8 Ft 30.9K

0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$97.2 Ft 32.1K

16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$598 Ft 197.1K

177.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$466 Ft 153.6K

189.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,040 Ft 342.8K

157.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$809 Ft 266.7K

168.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$3,668 Ft 1.2M

-10.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,683 Ft 884.7K

-7.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$1,290 Ft 425.2K

233.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

7.15

-8.39%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hungary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Hungary

$466 34.2% 65.4% $882

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Hungary

$244 17.9% 41.2% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Hungary

$208 15.3% 41.5% $147

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Hungary

$189 13.9% 42.5% $139

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Hungary

$141 10.4% 2.9% $4

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Hungary

$43 3.2% 46.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Hungary

$71 5.2% 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $511 in Hungary. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $836 in Budapest.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $1,184 in Hungary. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 217% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 44% more in the United States.

Public transport is 142% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 3.8 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇭🇺 Hungary

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

22:46 10:46 PM

5 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

9,599,744

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Between locations

United States Hungary 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Hungary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hungary is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 50% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $511 in Hungary.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Hungary – part of why living there is about 50% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Hungary, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Hungary is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.