Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,384

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Winston-Salem, NC 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 Winston-Salem, NC and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,384 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $2,384
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $3,790 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $3,790
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $5,195 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $5,195
Budapest $3,429

Winston-Salem, NC costs about 47% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Winston-Salem, NC and Budapest sit above the global median – Winston-Salem, NC by 77%, Budapest by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 $22.56

$13.94 Ft 4,503

61.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

29.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-0.88%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$3.26 Ft 1,055

65.95%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.14 Ft 690

37.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.78 Ft 577

15.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.71 Ft 1,198

35.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.77 Ft 1,217

62.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.15 Ft 371

25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$1.79 Ft 578

165.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$2.49 Ft 804

284.34%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$3.90 Ft 1,261

36.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.18 $18.18

$11.10 Ft 3,587

63.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 $13.89

$6.62 Ft 2,139

109.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.80 $26.80

$14.69 Ft 4,745

82.44%

Apples (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$1.83 Ft 591

327.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.05 Ft 661

47.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$2.37 Ft 765

184.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$3.90 Ft 1,260

91.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$0.99 Ft 320

395.96%

Onion (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$1.00 Ft 322

522.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.58 Ft 511

74.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$0.67 Ft 216

408.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 $7.76

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$6.22 Ft 2,009

145.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.27 Ft 411

25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.03 Ft 654

114.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.52 Ft 490

34.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 $29.85

$28.02 Ft 9,053

6.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.31 Ft 1,070

109.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.37 Ft 442

70.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 $14.74

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-25.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.82 Ft 589

-48.35%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

17.97%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-22.79%

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

$174 $174

$171 Ft 55.3K

1.42%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$23.51 Ft 7,596

117.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$23.29 Ft 7,526

172.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.72 $48.72

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-27.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.71 $15.71

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-16.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$9.30 Ft 3,004

28.49%

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

$1,301 $1,301

$533 Ft 172.3K

143.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-39.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.65 $39.65

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-60.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$110 Ft 35.7K

-22.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$119 Ft 38.4K

-21.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$830 Ft 268.3K

74.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$622 Ft 200.9K

52.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

65.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

63.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,350 $6,350

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

8.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,229 $3,229

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-16.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,555 $3,555

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

115.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.45

3.57%

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

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: 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

Winston-Salem, NC

$947 39.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 34.3% $325

Groceries & Markets

Winston-Salem, NC

$574 24.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 55.1% $316

Eating Out

Winston-Salem, NC

$333 14%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 33.1% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winston-Salem, NC

$288 12.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 24.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Winston-Salem, NC

$113 4.7%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 48.5% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Winston-Salem, NC

$73 3.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 18.6% $14

Getting Around

Winston-Salem, NC

$57 2.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 22% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC 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 Winston-Salem, NC, 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 $79.0 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $574 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

6 h ahead of Winston-Salem, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,218

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 →

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Between locations

Winston-Salem, NC Budapest 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Winston-Salem, NC
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

Winston-Salem, NC vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Winston-Salem, NC is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,576 per month in Winston-Salem, NC 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 7% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,301 per month in Winston-Salem, NC 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 Winston-Salem, NC at $2,384. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Winston-Salem, NC 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, Winston-Salem, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.