Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Novosibirsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Novosibirsk: $1,092 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Novosibirsk
Learn more

Novosibirsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Novosibirsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Novosibirsk

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,092 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Novosibirsk $1,092

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,752 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Novosibirsk $1,752

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,412 in Novosibirsk, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Novosibirsk $2,412

Budapest costs about 48% more than Novosibirsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Novosibirsk is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,555

$11.02 ₽937

26.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

$48.05 ₽4,085

25.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,244

$6.07 ₽516

64.09%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,102

$2.72 ₽231

24.26%

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

$2.13 Ft 693

$1.11 ₽94.8

91.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 609

$0.60 ₽51.3

211.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,222

$1.21 ₽103

209.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,163

$3.60 ₽306

-0.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 369

$1.16 ₽98.8

-2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 600

$0.67 ₽57.2

174.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.40 ₽119

70.71%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,246

$1.59 ₽136

140.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,689

$11.41 ₽970

-0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,194

$4.82 ₽410

39.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,784

$11.55 ₽982

27.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 598

$1.84 ₽156

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 654

$1.62 ₽138

24.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.94 ₽165

21.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,227

$3.25 ₽276

16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 314

$0.78 ₽66.3

23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 335

$0.57 ₽48.85

80.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.44 ₽123

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.74 ₽62.8

-10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,594

$3.02 ₽257

163.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,956

$9.93 ₽844

-39.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 422

$0.92 ₽77.9

41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 677

$1.62 ₽138

28.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 490

$0.51 ₽43.50

194.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,991

$28.91 ₽2,458

-4.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,075

$2.38 ₽203

38.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.45 ₽38.42

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,442

$5.79 ₽493

241.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.80 ₽68.4

126.25%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

$23.7K ₽2.0M

23.53%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$33.0K ₽2.8M

3.34%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$113 ₽9,616

50.26%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,809

$6.97 ₽593

244.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,628

$8.17 ₽695

186.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$36.68 ₽3,118

80.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,245

$29.94 ₽2,545

-35.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,101

$7.03 ₽598

35.42%

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

$537 Ft 174.8K

$299 ₽25.4K

79.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$67.1 ₽5,701

51.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$45.46 ₽3,865

-5.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$138 ₽11.7K

-18.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.7K

$96.8 ₽8,233

22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.2K

$544 ₽46.2K

48.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.9K

$365 ₽31.0K

72.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

$966 ₽82.1K

60.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

$672 ₽57.1K

73.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,272 ₽193.2K

147.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,721 ₽146.3K

130.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

$890 ₽75.7K

82.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

22.83

-71.84%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Novosibirsk: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Novosibirsk

$365 33% 42% $264

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Novosibirsk

$212 19.2% 17.7% $46

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Novosibirsk

$159 14.4% 29% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Novosibirsk

$128 11.6% 41% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Novosibirsk

$156 14.1% 7.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Novosibirsk

$51 4.6% 40.5% $35

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Novosibirsk

$36 3.2% 18% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $544 in Novosibirsk. 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 83% 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 $48.00 in Novosibirsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $212 – making Novosibirsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Novosibirsk

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

5 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,620,162

💱 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 = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Novosibirsk 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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 Novosibirsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,638 in Novosibirsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 5% less in Novosibirsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $299 in Novosibirsk. 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 Novosibirsk, where all-in costs run around $1,092, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Novosibirsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novosibirsk – 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 Novosibirsk. 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.