Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baku and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Baku: $1,030 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Baku
Learn more

Baku Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Baku

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$1,030

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Baku versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Baku $1,030
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,600 in Baku versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Baku $1,600
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,171 in Baku versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Baku $2,171
Budapest $3,489

Living in Baku costs roughly 36% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baku is 23% below, Budapest is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.86 ₼15.06

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-36.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.20 ₼68.3

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 ₼13.63

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-19.48%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ₼5.81

$3.38 Ft 1,102

1.18%

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

$1.13 ₼1.91

$2.13 Ft 693

-46.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₼1.06

$1.87 Ft 609

-66.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ₼3.06

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-52.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₼4.89

$3.57 Ft 1,163

-19.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₼2.56

$1.13 Ft 369

33.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₼0.90

$1.84 Ft 600

-71.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₼4.23

$2.39 Ft 777

4.18%

Eggs

$2.07 ₼3.51

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-45.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.06 ₼8.61

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-55.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.30 ₼9.00

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-21.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 ₼20.19

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-19.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 ₼2.18

$1.84 Ft 598

-30.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₼3.22

$2.01 Ft 654

-5.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ₼2.73

$2.36 Ft 767

-31.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 ₼3.01

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-53.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ₼1.25

$0.96 Ft 314

-23.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₼0.95

$1.03 Ft 335

-45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ₼1.34

$1.56 Ft 509

-49.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₼1.22

$0.66 Ft 216

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₼5.04

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-62.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 ₼14.83

$6.01 Ft 1,956

45.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₼2.61

$1.30 Ft 422

18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₼4.80

$2.08 Ft 677

35.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₼0.58

$1.50 Ft 490

-77.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.52 ₼36.58

$27.61 Ft 8,991

-22.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ₼3.44

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-38.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₼1.03

$1.30 Ft 424

-53.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 ₼5.85

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-82.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₼1.09

$1.81 Ft 591

-64.64%

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

$23.4K ₼39.8K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-20.23%

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

$21.1K ₼35.8K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-38.26%

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

$65.5 ₼111

$170 Ft 55.3K

-61.48%

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

$11.24 ₼19.11

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-53.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.14 ₼25.73

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-35.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.75 ₼82.9

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-26.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 ₼27.98

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-14.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.79 ₼9.84

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-39.18%

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

$326 ₼555

$537 Ft 174.8K

-39.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,787 ₼11.5K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-59.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 ₼115

$101 Ft 33.0K

-33.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₼93.8

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

28.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₼214

$113 Ft 36.7K

11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₼197

$119 Ft 38.7K

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₼922

$805 Ft 262.2K

-32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ₼537

$629 Ft 204.9K

-49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 ₼1,750

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-33.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₼872

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-56.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,188 ₼3,719

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-61.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,307 ₼2,222

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-67.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 ₼958

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-65.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

6.43

47.12%

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

Last update for Baku: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baku

$316 31.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 99% $313

Groceries & Markets

Baku

$195 19.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 32.3% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Baku

$164 16.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 3.1% $5

Eating Out

Baku

$158 15.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 42.2% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baku

$92 9.1%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 137% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Baku

$60 6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 41.4% $25

Getting Around

Baku

$28 2.8%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 55.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $543 in Baku and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 188% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Baku vs $60.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $258 per month, with Baku cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇿 Baku

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

04:40 4:40 AM

2 h behind Baku

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,300,500 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to AZN – Azerbaijani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇿 Azerbaijani Manat (₼)

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to AZN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baku Budapest 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baku
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

Baku vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baku and Budapest differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,030 vs $1,621 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 188% lower in Budapest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $543 in Baku versus $805 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $326 in Baku versus $537 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Budapest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,030 in Baku versus $1,621 in Budapest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baku but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Baku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Baku and Budapest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.