Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Aktobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktobe: $881 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Aktobe
Learn more

Aktobe Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Aktobe

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Aktobe

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 Aktobe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $881 in Aktobe, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Aktobe $881

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,386 in Aktobe, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Aktobe $1,386

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,891 in Aktobe, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Aktobe $1,891

Budapest costs about 84% more than Aktobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Aktobe is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.74 ₸3,951

59.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$40.63 ₸18.4K

50.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.01 ₸3,170

45.36%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.47 ₸1,115

31.98%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.26 ₸567

69.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.61 ₸275

191.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.84 ₸831

101.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.95 ₸1,335

27.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.42 ₸641

-19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.41 ₸184

336.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.93 ₸421

167.74%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.77 ₸799

120.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.82 ₸3,535

41.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.68 ₸2,569

16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.10 ₸4,115

61.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.62 ₸733

12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.13 ₸964

-3.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.34 ₸1,058

1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.94 ₸878

101.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.84 ₸378

17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.40 ₸181

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.09 ₸494

44.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.69 ₸312

-2.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.53 ₸1,142

214.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.95 ₸2,689

4.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.08 ₸489

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.81 ₸818

12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.20 ₸90.8

660.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$17.62 ₸7,966

59.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.08 ₸487

206.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.13 ₸511

21.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.53 ₸2,499

258.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.65 ₸294

180.00%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$23.1K ₸10.4M

28.99%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$30.6K ₸13.8M

10.41%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$55.8 ₸25.2K

206.94%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$10.35 ₸4,680

127.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$20.93 ₸9,463

11.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$48.08 ₸21.7K

40.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$12.14 ₸5,490

55.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.44 ₸2,458

70.96%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$220 ₸99.6K

142.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$3,286 ₸1.5M

409.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$54.4 ₸24.6K

83.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$55.8 ₸25.2K

-22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$118 ₸53.3K

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$100 ₸45.3K

18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$307 ₸138.8K

170.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$233 ₸105.5K

166.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$453 ₸204.8K

251.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$359 ₸162.3K

226.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$846 ₸382.4K

589.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$546 ₸247.0K

611.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$548 ₸247.8K

201.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-62.06%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aktobe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Aktobe

$234 26.5% 62.5% $388

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Aktobe

$185 21% 28.2% $73

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Aktobe

$143 16.3% 35.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Aktobe

$87 9.9% 60.1% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Aktobe

$148 16.8% 11.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Aktobe

$59 6.7% 31.5% $27

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Aktobe

$25 2.9% 43.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $307 in Aktobe. 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 201% 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 $41.00 in Aktobe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $185 – making Aktobe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇿 Aktobe

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

12:24 12:24 PM

3 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

570,452

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Budapest Aktobe 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Aktobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,321 in Aktobe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 39% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $41.00 in Aktobe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aktobe, where all-in costs run around $881, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Aktobe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aktobe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Aktobe. 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.