Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Atyrau

For one person, living is cheaper in Atyrau: $996 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Atyrau
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Atyrau

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $996 in Atyrau, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,621
  • Atyrau $996

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,658 in Atyrau, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,555
  • Atyrau $1,658

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,320 in Atyrau, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,489
  • Atyrau $2,320

Budapest costs about 63% more than Atyrau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Atyrau is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.99 Ft 4,551
$9.56 ₸4,335
46.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
$36.66 ₸16.6K
64.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.96 Ft 3,241
$7.40 ₸3,355
34.59%
Cappuccino
$3.38 Ft 1,100
$2.20 ₸998
53.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 Ft 692
$1.13 ₸514
88.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 Ft 608
$0.78 ₸353
139.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.75 Ft 1,221
$1.60 ₸726
134.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 Ft 1,162
$2.12 ₸961
68.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Ft 368
$1.65 ₸749
-31.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 Ft 599
$0.44 ₸199
318.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 Ft 777
$1.99 ₸903
20.10%
Eggs
$3.83 Ft 1,245
$1.53 ₸696
150.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.33 Ft 3,686
$10.89 ₸4,938
4.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.74 Ft 2,192
$8.68 ₸3,937
-22.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,780
$7.82 ₸3,546
87.85%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 Ft 597
$1.79 ₸810
2.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 Ft 653
$2.60 ₸1,180
-22.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 Ft 767
$2.21 ₸1,003
6.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.77 Ft 1,226
$1.79 ₸814
110.61%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 Ft 313
$0.62 ₸282
54.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 Ft 334
$0.41 ₸187
151.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 Ft 509
$1.29 ₸585
20.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 Ft 216
$0.90 ₸408
-26.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,591
$2.34 ₸1,062
240.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.01 Ft 1,954
$9.14 ₸4,143
-34.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 Ft 421
$1.31 ₸595
-0.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 Ft 676
$1.38 ₸627
50.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 Ft 489
$0.34 ₸155
341.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.61 Ft 8,982
$21.63 ₸9,807
27.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 Ft 1,074
$1.52 ₸688
117.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.30 Ft 424
$0.71 ₸323
83.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.78 Ft 6,436
$6.42 ₸2,913
208.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 Ft 591
$0.62 ₸283
191.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
$17.3K ₸7.9M
69.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
$29.5K ₸13.4M
15.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 Ft 55.3K
$52.8 ₸23.9K
222.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.98 Ft 7,802
$10.92 ₸4,951
119.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.42 Ft 7,621
$14.03 ₸6,360
66.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
$63.9 ₸29.0K
3.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.18 Ft 6,239
$9.67 ₸4,384
98.35%
Cinema Ticket
$9.52 Ft 3,098
$6.28 ₸2,846
51.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$537 Ft 174.6K
$285 ₸129.1K
88.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
$3,471 ₸1.6M
378.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 Ft 33.0K
$33.19 ₸15.0K
205.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
$43.44 ₸19.7K
-1.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 Ft 36.7K
$86.1 ₸39.0K
31.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.6K
$86.5 ₸39.2K
37.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 Ft 262.0K
$504 ₸228.6K
59.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 204.7K
$334 ₸151.3K
88.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
$1,121 ₸508.4K
38.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
$775 ₸351.5K
50.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
$941 ₸426.8K
496.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
$741 ₸335.9K
435.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Atyrau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
$715 ₸324.2K
127.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
30
-78.57%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Atyrau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Atyrau
$334 47% $296
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Atyrau
$223 13.4% $34
Eating Out
Budapest
$224
Atyrau
$145 35.3% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$217
Atyrau
$78 64.2% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$169
Atyrau
$112 33.7% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$85
Atyrau
$76 10.4% $8.8
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Atyrau
$28 35.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $504 in Atyrau. 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 127% 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 $37.00 in Atyrau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $223 – making Atyrau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇰🇿 Atyrau
🕒 Local time
09:04 9:04 AM
12:04 12:04 PM
3 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
323,295
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 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 = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Atyrau 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Atyrau

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 Atyrau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Budapest and in Atyrau compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,621 in Budapest, $996 in Atyrau – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Budapest compared to Atyrau?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,495 in Atyrau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Budapest and Atyrau?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Atyrau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Budapest and Atyrau?
Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $285 in Atyrau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 15% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Atyrau, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Atyrau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Budapest and Atyrau?
It depends on your priorities. Budapest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $996 in Atyrau to $1,621 in Budapest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Budapest or Atyrau safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Budapest and Atyrau?
If budget matters most, go with Atyrau. 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.

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