Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winona, MN and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,641 a month against $1,950 in Winona, MN, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Winona, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$1,950
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,950 per month in Winona, MN vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Winona, MN $1,950
  • Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $2,925 per month in Winona, MN vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Winona, MN $2,925
  • Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $3,900 per month in Winona, MN vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Winona, MN $3,900
  • Budapest $3,483

Winona, MN costs about 19% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Winona, MN and Budapest sit above the global median – Winona, MN by 44%, Budapest by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.12 $15.12
$14.04 Ft 4,536
7.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.5 $58.5
$60.9 Ft 19.7K
-4.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.46 $11.46
$10.37 Ft 3,351
10.51%
Cappuccino
$5.54 $5.54
$3.46 Ft 1,117
60.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$2.07 Ft 669
-13.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.77 Ft 572
-41.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.12 $4.12
$3.69 Ft 1,191
11.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.90 $5.90
$3.80 Ft 1,229
55.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.16 Ft 374
-13.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 $1.41
$1.85 Ft 598
-23.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.16 $4.16
$2.40 Ft 776
73.33%
Eggs
$1.75 $1.75
$3.99 Ft 1,289
-56.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.72 $14.72
$11.40 Ft 3,683
29.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.41 $13.41
$6.87 Ft 2,221
95.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.81 $19.81
$14.49 Ft 4,682
36.71%
Apples (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$1.88 Ft 607
145.21%
Banana (1kg)
$0.64 $0.64
$2.14 Ft 693
-70.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.12 $5.12
$2.30 Ft 744
122.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.96 $4.96
$4.04 Ft 1,304
22.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 $2.79
$1.02 Ft 329
173.53%
Onion (1kg)
$3.03 $3.03
$0.99 Ft 320
206.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.58 Ft 510
32.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.37 $2.37
$0.70 Ft 225
238.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.85 $10.85
$8.03 Ft 2,594
35.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.47 $15.47
$6.18 Ft 1,997
150.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 $2.70
$1.24 Ft 401
117.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.06 Ft 666
110.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.59 Ft 513
27.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.8 $66.8
$27.52 Ft 8,893
142.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.88 $3.88
$3.43 Ft 1,110
13.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.33 Ft 431
54.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.95 $42.95
$20.45 Ft 6,607
110.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.93 Ft 624
-48.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.1K $31.1K
$29.1K Ft 9.4M
6.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$34.7K Ft 11.2M
-24.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$198 $198
$175 Ft 56.4K
13.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.44 $29.44
$23.62 Ft 7,631
24.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.2 $53.2
$23.60 Ft 7,625
125.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.4 $60.4
$68.8 Ft 22.2K
-12.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.26 Ft 6,224
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.82 $9.82
$10.31 Ft 3,333
-4.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,718 $1,718
$535 Ft 172.9K
220.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.9K $23.9K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
41.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.1 $63.1
$99.9 Ft 32.3K
-36.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.4 $50.4
$43.27 Ft 14.0K
16.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 $106
$112 Ft 36.1K
-5.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 $123
$119 Ft 38.4K
3.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$867 $867
$832 Ft 268.8K
4.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$686 $686
$629 Ft 203.3K
8.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,285 $1,285
$1,586 Ft 512.4K
-19.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 $1,180
$1,197 Ft 386.6K
-1.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,671 $1,671
$5,718 Ft 1.8M
-70.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,653 $1,653
$3,947 Ft 1.3M
-58.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Winona, MN
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,712 Ft 553.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
6.45
3.72%

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

Last update for Winona, MN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Winona, MN
$686
Budapest
$629 8.2% $56
Groceries & Markets
Winona, MN
$395
Budapest
$262 33.7% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Winona, MN
$280
Budapest
$222 20.9% $59
Eating Out
Winona, MN
$265
Budapest
$226 14.7% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Winona, MN
$154
Budapest
$168 9.2% $14
Getting Around
Winona, MN
$89
Budapest
$44 50.6% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Winona, MN
$80
Budapest
$89 11.8% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $867 in Winona, MN versus $832 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Winona, MN versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $395 in Winona, MN vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Winona, MN
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
01:49 1:49 AM
08:49 8:49 AM
7 h ahead of Winona, MN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,533
1,686,222 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Winona, MN Budapest 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Winona, MN
  • 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
Winona, MN vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Winona, MN?
Yes – Winona, MN is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in Winona, MN and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 143% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,718 per month in Winona, MN and $535 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Winona, MN or in Budapest?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Winona, MN at $1,950. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Winona, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Winona, MN or Budapest more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Winona, MN or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Winona, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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