Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Almaty

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Almaty $2,883

Budapest costs about 17% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Budapest and Almaty sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$13.31 ₸5,991

5.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$43.37 ₸19.5K

39.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$8.80 ₸3,959

13.18%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$3.30 ₸1,486

2.42%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$1.37 ₸616

55.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.90 ₸406

107.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$3.13 ₸1,409

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$4.10 ₸1,847

-12.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$1.66 ₸749

-31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$0.90 ₸403

104.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$2.06 ₸927

16.02%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$2.37 ₸1,067

61.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$12.64 ₸5,689

-10.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$6.62 ₸2,978

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$10.87 ₸4,893

35.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$1.86 ₸839

-1.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$2.37 ₸1,067

-15.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$2.99 ₸1,348

-21.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$2.83 ₸1,273

33.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$0.77 ₸345

24.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$0.58 ₸262

77.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.59 ₸718

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.99 ₸446

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$2.54 ₸1,145

213.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$11.04 ₸4,969

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$1.21 ₸546

7.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$2.41 ₸1,085

-13.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.25 ₸113

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$21.84 ₸9,831

26.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$1.28 ₸577

157.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.64 ₸289

103.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$10.74 ₸4,836

84.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.69 ₸312

162.32%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$22.3K ₸10.0M

31.66%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

16.26%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$87.8 ₸39.5K

93.64%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$10.83 ₸4,874

121.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$17.40 ₸7,831

34.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-4.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-27.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$6.68 ₸3,009

42.51%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$446 ₸200.8K

20.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$11.9K ₸5.4M

39.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$93.7 ₸42.2K

8.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-8.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$143 ₸64.3K

-21.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$133 ₸60.1K

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$773 ₸348.1K

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$497 ₸223.9K

26.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$1,390 ₸625.9K

11.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$880 ₸396.0K

32.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,546 ₸1.1M

120.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,506 ₸678.2K

163.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$834 ₸375.2K

95.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

20.65

-68.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 21% $132

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 2.5% $6.4

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Almaty

$205 15% 8.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 46.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 10.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 2.6% $2.2

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Almaty

$27 2% 37.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $773 in Almaty. 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 95% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

08:49 8:49 AM

4 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Almaty 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, 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 $60.0 in Budapest and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,621 in Budapest and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – 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 Almaty. 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.