Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ishim

For one person, living is cheaper in Ishim: $970 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Ishim
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Ishim Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Ishim

🇷🇺 Russia

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ishim

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $970 in Ishim, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Ishim $970

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,504 in Ishim, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Ishim $1,504

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,037 in Ishim, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Ishim $2,037

Budapest costs about 67% more than Ishim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Ishim is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.88 ₽575

102.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$34.72 ₽2,898

76.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$4.57 ₽382

122.98%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.79 ₽233

16.85%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.51 ₽126

41.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.73 ₽61.2

143.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.01 ₽168

84.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.00 ₽251

25.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.10 ₽91.7

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.92 ₽76.8

94.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.15 ₽96.0

116.52%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.24 ₽104

214.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.77 ₽732

26.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.03 ₽420

31.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$10.11 ₽844

45.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.81 ₽151

1.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.72 ₽143

19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.73 ₽145

36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.80 ₽150

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.42 ₽35.10

135.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.29 ₽24.49

244.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.32 ₽110

19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.79 ₽65.9

-15.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.98 ₽248

167.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.71 ₽643

-19.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.05 ₽87.3

20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.00 ₽167

1.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.51 ₽42.25

198.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.43 ₽203

36.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.37 ₽30.60

270.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.87 ₽490

237.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.80 ₽66.7

127.50%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$36.0K ₽3.0M

-17.22%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$32.0K ₽2.7M

5.62%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$118 ₽9,815

45.51%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$5.91 ₽493

297.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$8.39 ₽700

177.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$34.89 ₽2,912

93.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$23.12 ₽1,930

-18.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$7.24 ₽604

28.45%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$341 ₽28.5K

56.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,400 ₽534.2K

161.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$79.5 ₽6,632

25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$51.4 ₽4,288

-15.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$118 ₽9,835

-6.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$102 ₽8,536

16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$448 ₽37.4K

85.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$310 ₽25.8K

100.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$874 ₽73.0K

82.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$551 ₽46.0K

112.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,189 ₽182.7K

166.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,440 ₽120.1K

170.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

25.7

-74.90%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ishim: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Ishim

$310 31.9% 50.2% $312

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Ishim

$188 19.4% 27.1% $70

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Ishim

$127 13.1% 42.9% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Ishim

$132 13.6% 39.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Ishim

$158 16.3% 5.8% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Ishim

$49 5.1% 42.7% $37

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Ishim

$6.3 * 0.7% 85.8% $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 $448 in Ishim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $35.00 in Ishim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $188 – making Ishim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Ishim

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

3 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

64,010

💱 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

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Between locations

Budapest Ishim 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Ishim

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 Ishim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,456 in Ishim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $35.00 in Ishim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ishim, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Ishim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ishim – 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 Ishim. 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.