Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kostanay

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostanay: $958 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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 Kostanay
Learn more

Kostanay Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kostanay

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $958 in Kostanay, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Kostanay $958

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,445 in Kostanay, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Kostanay $1,445

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,932 in Kostanay, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Kostanay $1,932

Budapest costs about 69% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Kostanay is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.42 ₸2,452

157.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$29.19 ₸13.2K

109.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.13 ₸3,223

42.92%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.20 ₸992

48.18%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.13 ₸509

89.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.91 ₸413

95.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.42 ₸644

161.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.68 ₸1,212

40.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.26 ₸570

-8.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.53 ₸240

237.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.07 ₸483

132.71%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.18 ₸988

78.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$10.47 ₸4,732

6.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.93 ₸2,682

11.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.35 ₸3,774

75.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.58 ₸713

15.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.29 ₸1,033

-10.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.85 ₸835

28.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.30 ₸1,040

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.58 ₸264

70.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.65 ₸294

53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.20 ₸544

31.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.89 ₸404

-24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.50 ₸1,131

218.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.16 ₸3,689

-23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.10 ₸496

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.27 ₸1,025

-10.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.34 ₸155

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.89 ₸403

271.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.09 ₸492

25.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.84 ₸2,641

239.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.64 ₸288

184.38%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$30.8K ₸13.9M

-3.11%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$30.7K ₸13.9M

10.00%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$78.5 ₸35.5K

117.93%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$11.07 ₸5,005

112.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$16.05 ₸7,253

45.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$47.87 ₸21.6K

41.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$20.28 ₸9,167

-6.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.20 ₸1,900

121.43%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$213 ₸96.1K

150.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,512 ₸2.9M

157.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$94.6 ₸42.7K

5.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$54.4 ₸24.6K

-20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$111 ₸50.1K

-0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$91.7 ₸41.5K

29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$394 ₸177.9K

111.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$316 ₸142.9K

96.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$600 ₸271.0K

165.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$481 ₸217.2K

143.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,183 ₸534.7K

393.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$929 ₸420.0K

318.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$658 ₸297.3K

151.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

18.5

-65.14%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Kostanay

$316 33% 49.2% $306

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Kostanay

$202 21.1% 21.5% $55

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Kostanay

$112 11.7% 49.9% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Kostanay

$106 11% 51.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Kostanay

$158 16.5% 5.7% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Kostanay

$56 5.9% 34.6% $30

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Kostanay

$7.7 * 0.8% 82.6% $37

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 $394 in Kostanay. 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 151% 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 $29.00 in Kostanay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $202 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

03:04 3:04 AM

4 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

264,446

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Kostanay 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kostanay

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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,437 in Kostanay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostanay, 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 $29.00 in Kostanay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $958, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Kostanay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kostanay – 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 Kostanay. 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.