Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,102 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,102

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,102 per month in Astana vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Astana $1,102
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,788 per month in Astana vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Astana $1,788
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,474 per month in Astana vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Astana $2,474
Budapest $3,489

Astana is about 32% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Astana sits 18% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 ₸4,936

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.77 ₸17.1K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-37.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 ₸3,494

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-22.59%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₸1,133

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-26.04%

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

$1.11 ₸503

$2.13 Ft 692

-47.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₸302

$1.87 Ft 608

-64.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₸586

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-65.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₸1,012

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-37.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₸567

$1.13 Ft 368

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 ₸268

$1.84 Ft 599

-67.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₸734

$2.39 Ft 777

-32.22%

Eggs

$2.22 ₸1,007

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-42.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 ₸5,363

$11.33 Ft 3,686

4.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 ₸2,570

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-15.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ₸4,648

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-30.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸816

$1.84 Ft 597

-2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 ₸1,056

$2.01 Ft 653

15.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₸1,035

$2.36 Ft 767

-3.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,003

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸298

$0.96 Ft 313

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₸192

$1.03 Ft 334

-59.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 ₸662

$1.56 Ft 509

-6.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₸418

$0.66 Ft 216

39.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₸1,020

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-71.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 ₸4,868

$6.01 Ft 1,954

78.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₸601

$1.30 Ft 421

1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₸1,076

$2.08 Ft 676

13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸104

$1.50 Ft 489

-84.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.27 ₸7,376

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-41.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₸973

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-34.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ₸502

$1.30 Ft 424

-14.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.41 ₸2,904

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-67.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 ₸280

$1.81 Ft 591

-65.75%

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

$24.1K ₸10.9M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-17.72%

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

$30.2K ₸13.7M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-11.60%

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

$65.7 ₸29.8K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-61.34%

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

$9.81 ₸4,447

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-59.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.72 ₸8,036

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-24.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₸25.7K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-14.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 ₸9,123

$19.18 Ft 6,239

4.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 ₸2,927

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-32.14%

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

$365 ₸165.3K

$537 Ft 174.6K

-32.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₸5.3M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-30.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ₸28.8K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-37.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 ₸20.9K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₸53.1K

$113 Ft 36.7K

3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ₸56.7K

$119 Ft 38.6K

5.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 ₸254.2K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-30.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ₸171.9K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-39.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 ₸500.3K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₸347.9K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-34.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,553 ₸704.3K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-72.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 ₸506.6K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-71.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₸397.4K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-46.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.5

6.43

141.06%

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

Last update for Astana: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$379 34.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 66% $250

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$224 20.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 14.9% $34

Eating Out

Astana

$158 14.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 41.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$158 14.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 6.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$93 8.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 133% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$70 6.3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 22.7% $16

Getting Around

Astana

$25 2.3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 74.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $561 in Astana versus $805 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 85% 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 $38.00 in Astana versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $258 – making Astana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

4 h behind Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

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 = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Astana Budapest 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Astana
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

Astana vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,102 in Astana, $1,621 in Budapest – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,653 per month in Astana and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Astana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $365 per month in Astana and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Astana, where all-in costs run around $1,102, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Astana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,102 in Astana to $1,621 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Astana. 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.