Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Hungary instead of Iowa, you would:

Economy

make 36.3% less money

Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in Hungary, the GDP per capita is $40,600 as of 2023.

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be 25.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Hungary, that number is 4.1% as of 2023.

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be 15.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Iowa, 10.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Hungary, however, that number is 12.1% as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Iowa vs. Hungary

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Hungary is 28.9% cheaper than Iowa
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Size Comparison · See true size
Iowa is about 1.6 times bigger than Hungary.
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Hungary: At a glance

Hungary is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 89,608 sq km. Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later. In 2011, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.
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How big is Hungary compared to Iowa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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