Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Oktyabr'skiy

For one person, living is cheaper in Oktyabr'skiy: $1,081 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,641
/mo nomad
Oktyabr'skiy
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,081
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Oktyabr'skiy

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,081 in Oktyabr'skiy, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,641
  • Oktyabr'skiy $1,081

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,686 in Oktyabr'skiy, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,562
  • Oktyabr'skiy $1,686

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,292 in Oktyabr'skiy, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,483
  • Oktyabr'skiy $2,292

Budapest costs about 52% more than Oktyabr'skiy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Oktyabr'skiy is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.04 Ft 4,536
$8.62 ₽720
62.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 Ft 19.7K
$41.51 ₽3,465
46.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 Ft 3,351
$5.29 ₽441
96.03%
Cappuccino
$3.46 Ft 1,117
$2.32 ₽194
49.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 Ft 669
$1.09 ₽91.2
89.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 Ft 572
$0.52 ₽43.79
240.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 Ft 1,191
$1.85 ₽154
99.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 Ft 1,229
$2.93 ₽245
29.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 Ft 374
$1.22 ₽102
-4.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 Ft 598
$1.01 ₽84.3
83.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.40 Ft 776
$1.55 ₽129
54.84%
Eggs
$3.99 Ft 1,289
$1.50 ₽125
166.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 Ft 3,683
$12.04 ₽1,005
-5.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.87 Ft 2,221
$7.45 ₽621
-7.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.49 Ft 4,682
$7.57 ₽632
91.41%
Apples (1kg)
$1.88 Ft 607
$3.04 ₽254
-38.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 Ft 693
$1.79 ₽149
19.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 Ft 744
$1.79 ₽149
28.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.04 Ft 1,304
$4.01 ₽335
0.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 Ft 329
$0.83 ₽69.1
22.89%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.38 ₽31.52
160.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 510
$1.30 ₽109
21.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 Ft 225
$0.56 ₽46.60
25.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.03 Ft 2,594
$2.56 ₽214
213.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 Ft 1,997
$7.34 ₽613
-15.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 Ft 401
$1.07 ₽89.2
15.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 Ft 666
$1.95 ₽162
5.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 Ft 513
$0.61 ₽51.3
160.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.52 Ft 8,893
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 Ft 1,110
$2.35 ₽196
45.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 Ft 431
$0.40 ₽33.69
232.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.45 Ft 6,607
$3.70 ₽309
452.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 Ft 624
$0.85 ₽71.2
127.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K Ft 9.4M
$52.7K ₽4.4M
-44.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K Ft 11.2M
$41.0K ₽3.4M
-15.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$175 Ft 56.4K
$141 ₽11.8K
23.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.62 Ft 7,631
$4.91 ₽410
381.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.60 Ft 7,625
$13.65 ₽1,139
72.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.8 Ft 22.2K
$35.37 ₽2,952
94.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.26 Ft 6,224
$26.37 ₽2,201
-26.96%
Cinema Ticket
$10.31 Ft 3,333
$6.25 ₽522
64.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$535 Ft 172.9K
$393 ₽32.8K
36.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$7,007 ₽584.8K
140.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.9 Ft 32.3K
$82.1 ₽6,855
21.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.27 Ft 14.0K
$53.9 ₽4,500
-19.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 Ft 36.1K
$119 ₽9,941
-6.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$85.6 ₽7,145
38.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$832 Ft 268.8K
$451 ₽37.6K
84.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 203.3K
$356 ₽29.7K
76.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 Ft 512.4K
$819 ₽68.3K
93.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 Ft 386.6K
$652 ₽54.4K
83.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,718 Ft 1.8M
$2,211 ₽184.6K
158.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,947 Ft 1.3M
$1,382 ₽115.3K
185.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Oktyabr'skiy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,712 Ft 553.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
25.03
-74.23%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oktyabr'skiy: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Oktyabr'skiy
$356 43.4% $273
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$262
Oktyabr'skiy
$223 14.9% $39
Eating Out
Budapest
$226
Oktyabr'skiy
$134 40.7% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$222
Oktyabr'skiy
$160 27.9% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Oktyabr'skiy
$153 8.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$89
Oktyabr'skiy
$48 46.5% $42
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Oktyabr'skiy
$6.8 * 84.5% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $451 in Oktyabr'skiy. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $42.00 in Oktyabr'skiy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $223 – making Oktyabr'skiy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇷🇺 Oktyabr'skiy
🕒 Local time
15:57 3:57 PM
16:57 4:57 PM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
12,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Oktyabr'skiy 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Oktyabr'skiy

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 Oktyabr'skiy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oktyabr'skiy cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,622 in Oktyabr'skiy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Oktyabr'skiy, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Oktyabr'skiy?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $42.00 in Oktyabr'skiy. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Oktyabr'skiy?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Oktyabr'skiy?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Oktyabr'skiy, where all-in costs run around $1,081, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Oktyabr'skiy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Oktyabr'skiy more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Oktyabr'skiy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Oktyabr'skiy?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Oktyabr'skiy. 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.

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