Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Qarshi

For one person, living is cheaper in Qarshi: $573 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Qarshi

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Qarshi

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $573 in Qarshi, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Qarshi $573

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $882 in Qarshi, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Qarshi $882

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,191 in Qarshi, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Qarshi $1,191

Budapest costs about 182% more than Qarshi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Qarshi is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$10.24 UZS 123.4K

36.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$16.77 UZS 202.1K

265.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$9.39 UZS 113.2K

8.52%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.03 UZS 12.5K

216.50%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.52 UZS 6,305

311.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.16 UZS 1,945

1012.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$0.69 UZS 8,343

437.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.26 UZS 15.1K

-8.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.41 UZS 4,917

336.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.15 UZS 13.9K

116.52%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.55 UZS 18.7K

151.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$10.25 UZS 123.5K

8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.42 UZS 41.3K

93.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$10.73 UZS 129.3K

36.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.12 UZS 13.5K

63.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.71 UZS 20.6K

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.81 UZS 21.9K

30.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.23 UZS 14.8K

217.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.50 UZS 6,010

98.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.26 UZS 3,159

284.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.41 UZS 4,932

63.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.39 UZS 40.9K

134.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.26 UZS 3,159

484.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$10.16 UZS 122.5K

175.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.35 UZS 4,242

291.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.34 UZS 16.2K

35.82%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$68.1 UZS 820.1K

151.46%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$3.68 UZS 44.3K

538.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$12.53 UZS 151.0K

85.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$33.55 UZS 404.3K

101.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,482 UZS 54.0M

273.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$270 UZS 3.3M

207.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$170 UZS 2.0M

265.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$419 UZS 5.1M

279.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$305 UZS 3.7M

283.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$358 UZS 4.3M

361.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Qarshi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Qarshi

–

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Qarshi

–

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Qarshi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Qarshi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Qarshi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Qarshi

–

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Qarshi

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $270 in Qarshi. 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 361% 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 $17.00 in Qarshi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $144 – making Qarshi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇿 Qarshi

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

23:50 11:50 PM

3 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

289,600

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,549 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Qarshi 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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 Qarshi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 182%, 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 $860 in Qarshi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 176% less in Qarshi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qarshi, where all-in costs run around $573, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Qarshi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qarshi – 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 Qarshi. 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.