Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Aktau

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.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
Learn more

Aktau Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Aktau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Aktau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Budapest $1,619
Aktau $793

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

Budapest $2,524
Aktau $1,317

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

Budapest $3,429
Aktau $1,842

Budapest costs about 104% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.07 ₸5,005

25.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$43.55 ₸19.7K

40.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$10.17 ₸4,596

0.20%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.49 ₸1,128

30.92%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.74 ₸333

189.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.48 ₸219

270.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.30 ₸586

185.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.53 ₸690

146.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.41 ₸638

-18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.47 ₸211

280.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.91 ₸864

30.37%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.73 ₸783

125.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$9.87 ₸4,463

12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.24 ₸1,915

56.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.95 ₸4,044

64.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.53 ₸689

19.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.24 ₸1,013

-8.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.35 ₸1,064

0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.80 ₸1,264

39.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.65 ₸295

52.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.56 ₸254

78.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.55 ₸700

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.94 ₸424

-28.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.59 ₸1,172

207.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$9.54 ₸4,313

-34.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.72 ₸326

76.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$0.87 ₸393

133.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.18 ₸82.6

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.13 ₸512

192.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.64 ₸290

114.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.63 ₸283

188.89%

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)

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$31.4K ₸14.2M

7.59%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$45.69 ₸20.7K

274.52%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.94 ₸3,587

196.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$11.01 ₸4,979

111.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$35.98 ₸16.3K

87.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$3.18 ₸1,437

192.45%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$143 ₸64.8K

271.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,621 ₸1.2M

539.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$66.8 ₸30.2K

49.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$40.67 ₸18.4K

6.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$71.7 ₸32.4K

53.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$89.6 ₸40.5K

32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$330 ₸149.2K

151.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$196 ₸88.6K

217.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$551 ₸249.0K

189.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$393 ₸177.8K

197.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$813 ₸367.6K

617.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$659 ₸297.7K

490.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$564 ₸254.8K

192.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-53.93%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Aktau

$196 24.7% 68.5% $426

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 22.3% $58

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Aktau

$163 20.6% 26.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Aktau

$65 8.2% 70.3% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 27.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 50.8% $44

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6% 88.5% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $330 in Aktau. 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $44.00 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $200 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

16:45 4:45 PM

3 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

273,830

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

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).

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).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Budapest
Aktau

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

Budapest vs Aktau: 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 $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,189 in Aktau. 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 $61.0 in Budapest and $44.00 in Aktau. 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.