Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cherkasy

For one person, living is cheaper in Cherkasy: $687 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cherkasy
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Cherkasy Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Cherkasy

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$687

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cherkasy

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $687 in Cherkasy, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Cherkasy $687

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,062 in Cherkasy, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Cherkasy $1,062

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $1,437 in Cherkasy, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Cherkasy $1,437

Budapest costs about 139% more than Cherkasy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Cherkasy is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$8.70 ₴390

61.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$21.79 ₴978

179.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$5.67 ₴255

82.89%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$1.43 ₴64.0

141.96%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$0.55 ₴24.57

276.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.34 ₴15.37

420.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$0.91 ₴40.71

305.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$1.51 ₴67.7

151.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.19 ₴53.4

-2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$0.79 ₴35.54

134.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.30 ₴58.1

84.62%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$1.73 ₴77.6

130.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$8.08 ₴363

41.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$4.02 ₴180

70.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$6.43 ₴289

125.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.00 ₴44.72

88.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.41 ₴63.4

51.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.19 ₴53.6

93.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$2.57 ₴115

57.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.96 ₴43.30

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.45 ₴20.31

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.69 ₴75.7

-6.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.45 ₴20.05

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$3.41 ₴153

135.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$3.26 ₴146

89.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$0.68 ₴30.72

82.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.46 ₴65.4

41.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.35 ₴15.54

354.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$8.48 ₴381

224.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.83 ₴82.1

87.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.59 ₴26.60

125.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$5.43 ₴244

276.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.60 ₴72.0

20.62%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$31.2K ₴1.4M

-6.63%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$25.2K ₴1.1M

37.69%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$86.5 ₴3,884

101.74%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$5.90 ₴265

300.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$4.45 ₴200

430.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$23.38 ₴1,049

194.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$4.63 ₴208

122.68%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$222 ₴9,953

141.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,687 ₴120.6K

526.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$41.18 ₴1,848

142.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$27.55 ₴1,236

57.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$71.3 ₴3,202

56.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$77.2 ₴3,465

54.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$245 ₴11.0K

239.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$174 ₴7,831

260.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$403 ₴18.1K

293.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$312 ₴14.0K

283.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$807 ₴36.2K

608.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$666 ₴29.9K

492.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$455 ₴20.4K

276.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

15.25

-57.70%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cherkasy: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Cherkasy

$174 25.4% 72.3% $455

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Cherkasy

$155 22.6% 40.6% $106

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Cherkasy

$115 16.7% 49.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Cherkasy

$97 14.1% 56.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Cherkasy

$98 14.2% 41.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Cherkasy

$33 4.8% 63.5% $57

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Cherkasy

$15 2.1% 66.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $245 in Cherkasy. 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 276% 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 $22.00 in Cherkasy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $155 – making Cherkasy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇦 Cherkasy

🕒 Local time

20:46 8:46 PM

21:46 9:46 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

274,343

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.46 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Cherkasy 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Cherkasy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 139%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,030 in Cherkasy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 225% less in Cherkasy. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $222 in Cherkasy. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cherkasy, where all-in costs run around $687, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Cherkasy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cherkasy – 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 Cherkasy. 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.