Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Novokuznetsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Novokuznetsk: $1,382 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Budapest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Novokuznetsk
Learn more

Novokuznetsk Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Novokuznetsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Novokuznetsk

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,382 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Novokuznetsk $1,382

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,238 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Novokuznetsk $2,238

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $3,093 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Novokuznetsk $3,093

Budapest costs about 17% more than Novokuznetsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Budapest and Novokuznetsk sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Novokuznetsk by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.84 ₽988

17.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$58.7 ₽4,901

4.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.69 ₽559

52.32%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.51 ₽209

29.88%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.04 ₽170

4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.14 ₽95.4

56.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$4.10 ₽342

-9.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$5.82 ₽486

-35.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.41 ₽117

-18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.81 ₽67.4

120.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.37 ₽114

81.75%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.57 ₽131

148.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.57 ₽715

29.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.90 ₽576

-4.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.35 ₽780

57.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$2.00 ₽167

-8.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.26 ₽189

-9.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.32 ₽193

2.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$4.00 ₽334

-2.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.87 ₽72.9

13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.59 ₽49.07

69.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.45 ₽121

8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.67 ₽56.3

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.65 ₽305

118.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.90 ₽493

5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.80 ₽150

-29.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.65 ₽222

-23.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.57 ₽47.78

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$29.95 ₽2,500

-6.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.74 ₽145

90.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.58 ₽48.43

136.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.82 ₽68.1

121.95%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$32.5K ₽2.7M

-8.43%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$33.8K ₽2.8M

-0.11%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$221 ₽18.4K

-22.59%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$4.98 ₽415

372.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$6.36 ₽531

266.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$50.6 ₽4,225

33.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$27.86 ₽2,325

-32.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$7.32 ₽611

27.05%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$673 ₽56.2K

-20.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$17.4K ₽1.5M

-3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$140 ₽11.7K

-29.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$84.2 ₽7,029

-48.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$181 ₽15.1K

-39.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$364 ₽30.4K

-67.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$452 ₽37.7K

83.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$293 ₽24.4K

112.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$955 ₽79.7K

66.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$670 ₽56.0K

74.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,205 ₽184.1K

164.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,479 ₽123.4K

163.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$561 ₽46.9K

194.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

22.75

-71.65%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Novokuznetsk: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Novokuznetsk

$293 21.2% 52.9% $329

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Novokuznetsk

$219 15.8% 15.2% $39

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Novokuznetsk

$190 13.7% 14.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Novokuznetsk

$232 16.8% 6.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Novokuznetsk

$346 25.1% 107% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Novokuznetsk

$65 4.7% 24.2% $21

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Novokuznetsk

$37 2.7% 16.6% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $452 in Novokuznetsk. 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 194% 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 Novokuznetsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $219 – making Novokuznetsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Novokuznetsk

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

15:43 3:43 PM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

544,583

💱 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 Novokuznetsk 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Novokuznetsk

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 Novokuznetsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,073 in Novokuznetsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 7% less in Novokuznetsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $673 in Novokuznetsk. 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 Novokuznetsk, where all-in costs run around $1,382, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Novokuznetsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novokuznetsk – 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 Novokuznetsk. 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.