Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Korolyov

For one person, living is cheaper in Korolyov: $1,273 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Korolyov
Learn more

Korolyov Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Korolyov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Korolyov

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,273 in Korolyov, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Korolyov $1,273

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,878 in Korolyov, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Korolyov $1,878

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,482 in Korolyov, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Korolyov $2,482

Budapest costs about 27% more than Korolyov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Korolyov is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.83 ₽988

17.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$58.8 ₽4,909

4.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.19 ₽600

41.72%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.79 ₽233

16.85%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.98 ₽81.6

118.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.55 ₽45.70

223.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$0.98 ₽82.2

278.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.40 ₽117

169.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.20 ₽100

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.85 ₽71.0

110.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.21 ₽101

105.79%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.61 ₽134

142.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.82 ₽736

25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.85 ₽488

13.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$12.03 ₽1,004

22.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.59 ₽133

15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.47 ₽123

39.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.58 ₽132

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.65 ₽304

6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.66 ₽55.1

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.37 ₽30.97

170.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.41 ₽117

12.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.99 ₽82.4

-32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.11 ₽176

277.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$10.65 ₽889

-41.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.77 ₽64.3

64.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.53 ₽128

32.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.00 ₽83.2

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$3.53 ₽295

-6.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.20 ₽16.55

585.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.55 ₽296

458.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.89 ₽74.3

104.49%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$36.1K ₽3.0M

-17.43%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$27.1K ₽2.3M

24.80%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$124 ₽10.4K

37.70%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$4.66 ₽389

404.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$8.10 ₽676

187.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$143 ₽11.9K

-52.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.47 ₽457

70.02%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$175 ₽14.6K

203.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$3,611 ₽301.4K

364.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$59.4 ₽4,959

67.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$29.74 ₽2,482

46.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$143 ₽11.9K

-22.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$118 ₽9,821

1.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$531 ₽44.3K

56.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$440 ₽36.7K

41.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$797 ₽66.5K

99.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$541 ₽45.2K

116.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,369 ₽197.7K

146.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$2,170 ₽181.1K

79.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,195 ₽99.8K

38.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

19.56

-67.02%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Korolyov

$440 34.5% 29.3% $182

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Korolyov

$213 16.8% 17.3% $45

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Korolyov

$164 12.8% 26.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Korolyov

$137 10.8% 37.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Korolyov

$157 12.4% 6.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Korolyov

$154 12.1% 78.6% $68

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Korolyov

$8.5 * 0.7% 80.8% $36

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 $531 in Korolyov. 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 38% 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 $59.0 in Korolyov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $213 – making Korolyov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Korolyov

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

12:27 12:27 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

225,299

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Budapest Korolyov 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Korolyov

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 Korolyov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,910 in Korolyov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Korolyov, 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 $59.0 in Korolyov. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Korolyov, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Korolyov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Korolyov – 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 Korolyov. 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.