Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Barnaul

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.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Barnaul
Learn more

Barnaul Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Barnaul

🇷🇺 Russia

$999

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Barnaul

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

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

Budapest $1,619
Barnaul $999

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

Budapest $2,524
Barnaul $1,517

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

Budapest $3,429
Barnaul $2,035

Living in Budapest is roughly 62% more expensive than in Barnaul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.39 ₽951

22.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$39.14 ₽3,267

56.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.02 ₽503

69.27%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.63 ₽219

23.95%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.69 ₽57.4

210.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.56 ₽46.87

217.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.17 ₽97.3

217.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.41 ₽118

167.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.04 ₽86.9

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.57 ₽47.68

214.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.36 ₽114

83.09%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.47 ₽123

165.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$11.72 ₽979

-5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.55 ₽380

45.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$11.84 ₽989

24.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.86 ₽155

-1.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.79 ₽149

14.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.93 ₽161

22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.16 ₽181

80.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.80 ₽67.2

23.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.46 ₽38.71

117.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.50 ₽125

5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.43 ₽36.22

55.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.02 ₽252

163.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$9.59 ₽800

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.92 ₽76.6

38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.39 ₽116

46.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.56 ₽46.71

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$25.42 ₽2,121

10.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.55 ₽129

113.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.50 ₽41.80

174.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.88 ₽491

237.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.80 ₽67.0

127.50%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$24.3K ₽2.0M

22.86%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$33.3K ₽2.8M

1.48%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$109 ₽9,104

56.88%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$6.13 ₽511

283.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$7.99 ₽667

191.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$17.64 ₽1,472

7.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.91 ₽410

89.41%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$351 ₽29.3K

51.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.5K ₽1.2M

15.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$63.9 ₽5,334

55.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$44.19 ₽3,688

-1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$113 ₽9,422

-2.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$98.8 ₽8,243

20.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$444 ₽37.1K

87.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$335 ₽28.0K

85.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$660 ₽55.1K

141.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$504 ₽42.1K

132.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,005 ₽167.3K

190.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,697 ₽141.6K

129.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$664 ₽55.4K

148.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

22.83

-71.75%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Barnaul

$335 33.5% 46.1% $287

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Barnaul

$201 20.1% 22.2% $57

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Barnaul

$154 15.5% 30.8% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Barnaul

$123 12.3% 43.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Barnaul

$144 14.4% 14.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Barnaul

$9.8 * 1% 88.6% $76

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Barnaul

$32 3.2% 28.3% $13

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 $830 in Budapest and $444 in Barnaul. 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: $61.0 in Budapest vs $39.00 in Barnaul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $201 per month, with Barnaul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Barnaul

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

14:04 2:04 PM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

631,124

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

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).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Barnaul 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Barnaul

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 Barnaul: 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.

Average pay runs 149% higher in Budapest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $830 in Budapest versus $444 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,619 per month in Budapest versus $999 in Barnaul – 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, Budapest and Barnaul 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.