Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Dzerzhinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Dzerzhinsk: $1,085 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Dzerzhinsk
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,085
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Dzerzhinsk

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,085 in Dzerzhinsk, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Dzerzhinsk $1,085

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,647 in Dzerzhinsk, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Dzerzhinsk $1,647

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,208 in Dzerzhinsk, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Dzerzhinsk $2,208

Budapest costs about 49% more than Dzerzhinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Dzerzhinsk is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$12.97 ₽1,082
7.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$35.96 ₽3,001
70.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$6.99 ₽583
45.78%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$3.33 ₽278
-2.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$1.77 ₽148
20.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.71 ₽59.0
150.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$1.96 ₽164
89.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$3.86 ₽322
-2.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.20 ₽99.8
-4.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$0.77 ₽63.9
132.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.40 ₽117
77.86%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$1.54 ₽128
153.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$11.89 ₽992
-6.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$4.64 ₽388
42.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$13.47 ₽1,124
9.06%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$1.72 ₽143
6.40%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.67 ₽139
22.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$1.77 ₽148
33.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$3.50 ₽292
11.43%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.64 ₽53.8
54.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$0.62 ₽51.4
61.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.25 ₽104
26.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$0.69 ₽57.5
-2.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$2.52 ₽210
215.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$8.30 ₽693
-25.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.10 ₽92.1
15.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.30 ₽192
-11.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.56 ₽47.00
171.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$2.08 ₽173
59.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.44 ₽36.63
211.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$7.21 ₽602
175.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$0.85 ₽70.6
114.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$41.9K ₽3.5M
-28.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$32.4K ₽2.7M
4.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$104 ₽8,721
63.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$6.99 ₽584
236.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$7.71 ₽643
202.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$37.53 ₽3,133
79.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$21.41 ₽1,787
-11.77%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$7.28 ₽608
27.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$314 ₽26.2K
69.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$7,000 ₽584.2K
139.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$68.5 ₽5,713
45.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$53.8 ₽4,488
-19.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$137 ₽11.4K
-19.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$81.7 ₽6,822
45.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$399 ₽33.3K
108.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$345 ₽28.8K
80.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$851 ₽71.0K
87.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$524 ₽43.7K
123.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$2,071 ₽172.9K
181.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$1,443 ₽120.4K
169.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Dzerzhinsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$1,011 ₽84.4K
63.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
12
-46.25%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dzerzhinsk: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Dzerzhinsk
$345 44.5% $277
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Dzerzhinsk
$217 15.9% $41
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Dzerzhinsk
$192 13.9% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Dzerzhinsk
$119 45.3% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Dzerzhinsk
$153 8.6% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Dzerzhinsk
$52 39.5% $34
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Dzerzhinsk
$6.5 * 85.3% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $399 in Dzerzhinsk. 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 63% 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 $36.00 in Dzerzhinsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $217 – making Dzerzhinsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇷🇺 Dzerzhinsk
🕒 Local time
06:23 6:23 AM
07:23 7:23 AM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
227,326
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Dzerzhinsk 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Dzerzhinsk

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 Dzerzhinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dzerzhinsk cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,627 in Dzerzhinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dzerzhinsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Dzerzhinsk?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $36.00 in Dzerzhinsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Dzerzhinsk?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Dzerzhinsk?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dzerzhinsk, where all-in costs run around $1,085, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Dzerzhinsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Dzerzhinsk more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Dzerzhinsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Dzerzhinsk?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Dzerzhinsk. 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.

Budapest vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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