Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $793 per month in Aktau vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Aktau $793
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Aktau vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Aktau $1,317
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Aktau vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Aktau $1,842
Budapest $3,429

Aktau is about 51% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Aktau sits 41% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 ₸5,005

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-20.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.55 ₸19.7K

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-28.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 ₸4,596

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-0.20%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₸1,128

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-23.62%

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

$0.74 ₸333

$2.14 Ft 690

-65.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸219

$1.78 Ft 577

-73.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-64.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸690

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-59.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ₸638

$1.15 Ft 371

22.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₸211

$1.79 Ft 578

-73.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₸864

$2.49 Ft 804

-23.29%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-55.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 ₸4,463

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-11.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₸1,915

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-35.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 ₸4,044

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸689

$1.83 Ft 591

-16.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ₸1,013

$2.05 Ft 661

9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₸1,064

$2.37 Ft 765

-0.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,264

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₸295

$0.99 Ft 320

-34.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₸254

$1.00 Ft 322

-44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₸700

$1.58 Ft 511

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₸424

$0.67 Ft 216

40.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,172

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-67.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ₸4,313

$6.22 Ft 2,009

53.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₸326

$1.27 Ft 411

-43.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸393

$2.03 Ft 654

-57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.6

$1.52 Ft 490

-88.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₸512

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-65.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$1.37 Ft 442

-53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸283

$1.82 Ft 589

-65.38%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

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

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-7.05%

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

$45.69 ₸20.7K

$171 Ft 55.3K

-73.30%

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

$7.94 ₸3,587

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-66.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.01 ₸4,979

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-52.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-46.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₸1,437

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-65.81%

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

$143 ₸64.8K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-73.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,621 ₸1.2M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-84.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 ₸30.2K

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-32.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 ₸18.4K

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-6.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₸32.4K

$110 Ft 35.7K

-35.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 ₸40.5K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₸149.2K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-60.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₸88.6K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ₸249.0K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-65.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸177.8K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-66.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$813 ₸367.6K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-86.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$659 ₸297.7K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-83.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 ₸254.8K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-65.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

117.05%

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

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 28.7% $58

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$196 24.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 217% $426

Eating Out

Aktau

$163 20.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 36.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 38.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$65 8.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 237% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 103% $44

Getting Around

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 773% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $330 in Aktau 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 193% higher in Budapest, 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 $44.00 in Aktau versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $258 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

11:27 11:27 AM

3 h behind Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 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).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aktau Budapest 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
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

Aktau vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 104% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,189 per month in Aktau 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 Aktau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Aktau and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aktau costs $793 versus $1,619 in Budapest. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Aktau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.