Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Barysaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Barysaw: $776 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,621
/mo nomad
Barysaw
🇧🇾 Belarus
$776
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Barysaw

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,621 in Budapest versus $776 in Barysaw.

  • Budapest $1,621
  • Barysaw $776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,555 in Budapest versus $1,249 in Barysaw.

  • Budapest $2,555
  • Barysaw $1,249

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Budapest versus $1,723 in Barysaw.

  • Budapest $3,489
  • Barysaw $1,723

Living in Budapest is roughly 109% more expensive than in Barysaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Budapest is 21% above, Barysaw is 42% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.99 Ft 4,551
$6.38 BYN 19.27
119.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.3 Ft 19.6K
$29.03 BYN 87.7
107.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.96 Ft 3,241
$4.32 BYN 13.04
130.56%
Cappuccino
$3.38 Ft 1,100
$1.56 BYN 4.72
116.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 Ft 692
$0.57 BYN 1.72
273.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 Ft 608
$0.35 BYN 1.05
434.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.75 Ft 1,221
$1.17 BYN 3.54
220.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 Ft 1,162
$2.51 BYN 7.58
42.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 Ft 368
$0.69 BYN 2.08
63.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 Ft 599
$0.61 BYN 1.85
201.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 Ft 777
$1.12 BYN 3.39
113.39%
Eggs
$3.83 Ft 1,245
$1.39 BYN 4.21
175.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.33 Ft 3,686
$6.81 BYN 20.55
66.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.74 Ft 2,192
$4.13 BYN 12.48
63.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,780
$6.13 BYN 18.51
139.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.84 Ft 597
$1.20 BYN 3.61
53.33%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 Ft 653
$1.83 BYN 5.53
9.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 Ft 767
$1.83 BYN 5.53
28.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.77 Ft 1,226
$1.76 BYN 5.33
114.20%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 Ft 313
$0.38 BYN 1.16
152.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 Ft 334
$0.59 BYN 1.79
74.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 Ft 509
$1.00 BYN 3.03
56.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 Ft 216
$0.46 BYN 1.40
43.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,591
$2.01 BYN 6.08
296.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.01 Ft 1,954
$7.81 BYN 23.58
-23.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 Ft 421
$1.49 BYN 4.51
-12.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 Ft 676
$2.02 BYN 6.10
2.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 Ft 489
$0.32 BYN 0.96
368.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.61 Ft 8,982
$14.67 BYN 44.30
88.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 Ft 1,074
$0.72 BYN 2.18
358.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.30 Ft 424
$0.53 BYN 1.60
145.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.78 Ft 6,436
$9.75 BYN 29.43
102.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 Ft 591
$0.91 BYN 2.74
98.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K Ft 9.5M
$19.3K BYN 58.4K
51.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K Ft 11.1M
$19.6K BYN 59.3K
73.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 Ft 55.3K
$68.8 BYN 208
146.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.98 Ft 7,802
$7.48 BYN 22.60
220.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.42 Ft 7,621
$11.27 BYN 34.04
107.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.2 Ft 21.6K
$31.43 BYN 94.9
110.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.18 Ft 6,239
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.52 Ft 3,098
$3.29 BYN 9.93
189.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$537 Ft 174.6K
$329 BYN 993
63.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K Ft 5.4M
$9,764 BYN 29.5K
70.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 Ft 33.0K
$45.39 BYN 137
123.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.99 Ft 14.0K
$47.19 BYN 143
-8.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 Ft 36.7K
$87.5 BYN 264
28.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.6K
$105 BYN 318
12.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$805 Ft 262.0K
$314 BYN 949
156.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 204.7K
$257 BYN 777
144.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,549 Ft 504.1K
$575 BYN 1,737
169.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 Ft 379.7K
$493 BYN 1,489
136.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,618 Ft 1.8M
$1,094 BYN 3,305
413.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,968 Ft 1.3M
$878 BYN 2,652
351.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Barysaw
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,626 Ft 529.0K
$629 BYN 1,900
158.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
14
-54.07%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Barysaw: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Barysaw
$257 59.1% $372
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Barysaw
$155 40% $103
Eating Out
Budapest
$224
Barysaw
$97 56.6% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$217
Barysaw
$88 59.7% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$169
Barysaw
$128 24.1% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$85
Barysaw
$38 55.4% $47
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Barysaw
$19 55.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Budapest and $314 in Barysaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 158% 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: $60.0 in Budapest vs $29.00 in Barysaw for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $155 per month, with Barysaw cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇧🇾 Barysaw
🕒 Local time
06:54 6:54 AM
07:54 7:54 AM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
143,051
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BYN, 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).

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.02 BYN (1 BYN = 0.331 USD). 1 EUR = 3.39 BYN (1 BYN = 0.295 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Barysaw 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Barysaw

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 Barysaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barysaw cheaper than Budapest?
Barysaw is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Budapest or Barysaw?
Average pay runs 158% higher in Budapest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Budapest and Barysaw?
Rent for a central apartment: $805 in Budapest versus $314 in Barysaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Budapest and in Barysaw?
All in, you'll spend $1,621 per month in Budapest versus $776 in Barysaw – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Barysaw runs roughly 88% less than in Budapest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Barysaw?
At $776 in Barysaw versus $1,621 in Budapest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barysaw but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Barysaw the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Budapest or Barysaw more family-friendly?
For families, Barysaw is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Budapest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Barysaw?
Safety-wise, Budapest and Barysaw are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Barysaw gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Budapest vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?