Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kutaisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kutaisi: $886 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kutaisi
Learn more

Kutaisi Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Kutaisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kutaisi

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $886 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Kutaisi $886

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,318 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Kutaisi $1,318

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,750 in Kutaisi, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Kutaisi $1,750

Budapest costs about 83% more than Kutaisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Kutaisi is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$9.85 ₾25.53

42.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$31.26 ₾81.0

93.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$10.59 ₾27.44

-5.95%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.06 ₾5.33

64.08%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.74 ₾1.92

187.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.55 ₾1.42

240.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.21 ₾3.15

209.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$1.90 ₾4.92

87.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.75 ₾4.54

-35.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.51 ₾1.31

260.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.19 ₾3.09

100.84%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.37 ₾6.14

61.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$6.11 ₾15.84

85.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$4.80 ₾12.45

40.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$10.54 ₾27.32

39.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.21 ₾3.14

52.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.60 ₾4.14

25.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.54 ₾4.00

53.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.72 ₾4.47

119.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.71 ₾1.83

35.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.65 ₾1.69

58.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.22 ₾3.15

27.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.63 ₾1.63

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$3.06 ₾7.94

160.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$3.77 ₾9.76

59.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.57 ₾4.06

-17.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.59 ₾6.72

-19.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.33 ₾0.87

354.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$7.73 ₾20.03

257.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.75 ₾1.94

340.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.74 ₾1.93

75.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$5.63 ₾14.59

251.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.27 ₾3.30

42.52%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$23.1K ₾59.9K

26.88%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$22.3K ₾57.8K

53.02%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$77.5 ₾201

119.19%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$8.75 ₾22.67

174.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$15.25 ₾39.52

53.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$41.90 ₾109

58.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$8.49 ₾22.00

125.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$4.77 ₾12.36

99.58%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$132 ₾342

306.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$2,675 ₾6,934

520.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$57.6 ₾149

76.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$39.87 ₾103

7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$96.2 ₾249

17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$86.5 ₾224

37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$362 ₾938

122.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$262 ₾679

140.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$517 ₾1,340

199.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$343 ₾888

240.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,069 ₾2,772

425.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$669 ₾1,735

492.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$474 ₾1,229

242.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

15.67

-58.97%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kutaisi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Kutaisi

$262 29.7% 58.4% $367

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kutaisi

$178 20.1% 31.1% $80

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Kutaisi

$150 17% 33% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Kutaisi

$102 11.5% 53.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Kutaisi

$126 14.3% 25.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Kutaisi

$51 5.8% 39.7% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kutaisi

$14 1.5% 68.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $362 in Kutaisi. 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 243% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $31.00 in Kutaisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $178 – making Kutaisi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇬🇪 Kutaisi

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

11:18 11:18 AM

2 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

130,411

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Kutaisi 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Kutaisi

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 Kutaisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,329 in Kutaisi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 257% less in Kutaisi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $132 in Kutaisi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kutaisi, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Kutaisi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kutaisi – 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 Kutaisi. 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.