Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnaul and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnaul: $999 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Barnaul
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Barnaul Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Barnaul

🇷🇺 Russia

$999

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Barnaul versus $1,619 in Budapest.

Barnaul $999
Budapest $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,517 in Barnaul versus $2,524 in Budapest.

Barnaul $1,517
Budapest $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,035 in Barnaul versus $3,429 in Budapest.

Barnaul $2,035
Budapest $3,429

Living in Barnaul costs roughly 38% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barnaul is 26% below, Budapest is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 ₽951

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-18.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 ₽3,267

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-36.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 ₽503

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-40.92%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₽219

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-19.33%

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

$0.69 ₽57.4

$2.14 Ft 690

-67.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽46.87

$1.78 Ft 577

-68.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₽97.3

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-68.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₽118

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-62.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 ₽86.9

$1.15 Ft 371

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 ₽47.68

$1.79 Ft 578

-68.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ₽114

$2.49 Ft 804

-45.38%

Eggs

$1.47 ₽123

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-62.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 ₽979

$11.10 Ft 3,587

5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 ₽380

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-31.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 ₽989

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₽155

$1.83 Ft 591

1.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽149

$2.05 Ft 661

-12.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 ₽161

$2.37 Ft 765

-18.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ₽181

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-44.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₽67.2

$0.99 Ft 320

-19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₽38.71

$1.00 Ft 322

-54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ₽125

$1.58 Ft 511

-5.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₽36.22

$0.67 Ft 216

-35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₽252

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-62.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 ₽800

$6.22 Ft 2,009

54.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₽76.6

$1.27 Ft 411

-27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₽116

$2.03 Ft 654

-31.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 ₽46.71

$1.52 Ft 490

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.42 ₽2,121

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-9.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 ₽129

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-53.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 ₽41.80

$1.37 Ft 442

-63.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 ₽491

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-70.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₽67.0

$1.82 Ft 589

-56.04%

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

$24.3K ₽2.0M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-18.60%

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

$33.3K ₽2.8M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-1.46%

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

$109 ₽9,104

$171 Ft 55.3K

-36.26%

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

$6.13 ₽511

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-73.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.99 ₽667

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-65.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 ₽1,472

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-6.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 ₽410

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-47.20%

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

$351 ₽29.3K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-34.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ₽1.2M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-13.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 ₽5,334

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.19 ₽3,688

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₽9,422

$110 Ft 35.7K

2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 ₽8,243

$119 Ft 38.4K

-16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ₽37.1K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-46.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ₽28.0K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 ₽55.1K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-58.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 ₽42.1K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-56.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 ₽167.3K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-65.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 ₽141.6K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-56.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 ₽55.4K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-59.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.83

6.45

253.95%

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

Last update for Barnaul: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barnaul

$335 33.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 85.7% $287

Groceries & Markets

Barnaul

$201 20.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 28.6% $57

Eating Out

Barnaul

$154 15.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 44.4% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Barnaul

$144 14.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 16.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barnaul

$123 12.3%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 76.9% $95

Getting Around

Barnaul

$32 3.2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 39.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Barnaul

$9.8 * 1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 777% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Barnaul and $830 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 149% 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: $39.00 in Barnaul vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $258 per month, with Barnaul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Barnaul

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

08:23 8:23 AM

5 h behind Barnaul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,124

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 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 RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Barnaul Budapest 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Barnaul
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barnaul vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnaul wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Budapest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barnaul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 149% 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: $444 in Barnaul versus $830 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $999 per month in Barnaul versus $1,619 in Budapest – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 10% less than in Budapest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $999 in Barnaul versus $1,619 in Budapest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barnaul but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Barnaul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barnaul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $999 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barnaul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Barnaul 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 Barnaul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.