Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Samokov

For one person, living is cheaper in Samokov: $1,008 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Samokov
Learn more

Samokov Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Samokov

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Samokov

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,008 in Samokov, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Samokov $1,008

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,634 in Samokov, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Samokov $1,634

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,259 in Samokov, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Samokov $2,259

Budapest costs about 61% more than Samokov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Samokov is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$9.08 BGN 15.80

53.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$44.84 BGN 78.0

36.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$9.41 BGN 16.38

8.29%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.87 BGN 5.00

13.59%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.79 BGN 3.12

19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.49 BGN 2.59

19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.64 BGN 4.60

40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$4.17 BGN 7.26

-9.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.81 BGN 3.14

-36.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.15 BGN 2.01

55.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.25 BGN 3.92

10.67%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.60 BGN 6.27

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$11.47 BGN 19.95

-3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$8.49 BGN 14.77

-22.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$14.16 BGN 24.64

3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.72 BGN 2.99

6.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.87 BGN 3.25

9.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.91 BGN 3.32

24.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.53 BGN 4.40

54.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.08 BGN 1.87

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.07 BGN 1.86

-6.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.22 BGN 2.13

29.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.78 BGN 1.35

-14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.90 BGN 6.79

104.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.33 BGN 11.01

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.12 BGN 1.94

13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.07 BGN 3.61

-1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.98 BGN 1.71

55.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$24.50 BGN 42.63

14.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.27 BGN 2.22

160.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.66 BGN 1.14

107.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$10.26 BGN 17.85

93.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.76 BGN 3.07

3.41%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$30.2K BGN 52.5K

-1.33%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.9K BGN 43.3K

35.92%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$111 BGN 193

53.94%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$18.77 BGN 32.65

25.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$15.19 BGN 26.43

53.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$30.47 BGN 53.0

121.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$17.71 BGN 30.81

6.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$8.91 BGN 15.50

4.38%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$508 BGN 884

4.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,382 BGN 9,365

211.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$67.8 BGN 118

46.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$42.06 BGN 73.2

3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$97.6 BGN 170

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$103 BGN 179

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$331 BGN 577

150.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$218 BGN 379

185.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$565 BGN 983

182.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$440 BGN 766

165.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,272 BGN 2,213

358.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,091 BGN 1,899

256.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$734 BGN 1,278

124.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.1

108.06%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Samokov: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Samokov

$218 21.6% 65% $404

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Samokov

$254 25.2% 1.4% $3.6

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Samokov

$170 16.9% 23.8% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Samokov

$145 14.4% 33.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Samokov

$140 13.9% 16.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Samokov

$48 4.8% 43.9% $38

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Samokov

$33 3.3% 25.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $331 in Samokov. 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 125% 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 $45.00 in Samokov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $254 – making Samokov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇬 Samokov

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

09:00 9:00 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

25,138

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Samokov 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Samokov

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 Samokov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,512 in Samokov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 14% less in Samokov. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $508 in Samokov. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Samokov, where all-in costs run around $1,008, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Samokov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samokov – 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 Samokov. 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.