Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Nizhny Novgorod

For one person, living is cheaper in Nizhny Novgorod: $1,207 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Nizhny Novgorod
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Nizhny Novgorod Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Nizhny Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Nizhny Novgorod

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,207 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Nizhny Novgorod $1,207

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,841 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Nizhny Novgorod $1,841

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,474 in Nizhny Novgorod, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Nizhny Novgorod $2,474

Budapest costs about 34% more than Nizhny Novgorod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Nizhny Novgorod is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$13.90 ₽1,182

0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$53.6 ₽4,560

12.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$7.27 ₽618

37.00%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$3.16 ₽269

6.96%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$1.73 ₽147

23.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.75 ₽63.9

149.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$1.86 ₽158

101.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$3.70 ₽314

-3.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$1.17 ₽99.8

-3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$0.79 ₽67.2

132.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.38 ₽117

73.19%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$1.54 ₽131

148.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$11.45 ₽974

-1.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$4.73 ₽402

42.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$13.32 ₽1,132

10.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$1.73 ₽147

6.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$1.72 ₽146

16.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.71 ₽145

38.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$3.62 ₽308

4.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$0.63 ₽53.3

52.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$0.60 ₽50.9

71.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.23 ₽105

26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.74 ₽62.9

-10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$2.86 ₽243

178.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$8.21 ₽698

-26.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$1.13 ₽96.5

15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$2.36 ₽201

-11.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.46 ₽38.87

226.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$17.41 ₽1,480

58.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$2.03 ₽173

62.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.43 ₽36.39

202.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$6.90 ₽587

186.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.79 ₽67.6

129.11%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$40.6K ₽3.5M

-27.81%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$31.8K ₽2.7M

7.29%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$139 ₽11.8K

22.40%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$6.85 ₽583

250.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$7.72 ₽656

203.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$32.93 ₽2,799

101.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$25.77 ₽2,191

-25.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$6.99 ₽594

36.19%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$307 ₽26.1K

75.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$6,820 ₽579.8K

143.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$68.5 ₽5,827

47.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$53.7 ₽4,562

-19.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$139 ₽11.8K

-19.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$80.4 ₽6,837

47.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$605 ₽51.4K

33.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$424 ₽36.0K

48.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$876 ₽74.5K

76.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$605 ₽51.5K

92.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$3,235 ₽275.1K

73.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,010 ₽170.9K

97.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$971 ₽82.6K

67.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

21.04

-69.44%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nizhny Novgorod: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Nizhny Novgorod

$424 34.9% 32.6% $205

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Nizhny Novgorod

$217 17.8% 15.8% $41

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Nizhny Novgorod

$197 16.2% 11.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Nizhny Novgorod

$153 12.6% 29.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Nizhny Novgorod

$154 12.7% 9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Nizhny Novgorod

$47 3.9% 45% $38

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Nizhny Novgorod

$23 1.9% 46.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $605 in Nizhny Novgorod. 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 67% 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 $54.0 in Nizhny Novgorod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $217 – making Nizhny Novgorod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Nizhny Novgorod

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,244,254

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.27 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Budapest Nizhny Novgorod 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Nizhny Novgorod

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 Nizhny Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 34%, 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 $1,811 in Nizhny Novgorod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 59% less in Nizhny Novgorod. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $307 in Nizhny Novgorod. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nizhny Novgorod, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Nizhny Novgorod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nizhny Novgorod – 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 Nizhny Novgorod. 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.