Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Saryagash

For one person, living is cheaper in Saryagash: $854 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Saryagash
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$854
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Saryagash

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $854 in Saryagash, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Saryagash $854

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,419 in Saryagash, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Saryagash $1,419

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,983 in Saryagash, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Saryagash $1,983

Budapest costs about 90% more than Saryagash, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Saryagash is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$9.86 ₸4,457
41.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$36.65 ₸16.6K
67.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$7.46 ₸3,372
36.60%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$2.56 ₸1,155
27.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$1.15 ₸519
86.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$0.62 ₸279
187.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$1.14 ₸518
225.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$2.23 ₸1,009
69.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$1.41 ₸639
-18.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$0.44 ₸198
306.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.60 ₸725
55.63%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$1.70 ₸767
129.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$11.14 ₸5,037
-0.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$5.39 ₸2,436
22.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$7.57 ₸3,424
94.06%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$1.47 ₸664
24.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$1.85 ₸836
10.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$2.66 ₸1,202
-10.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$2.39 ₸1,080
63.18%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$0.66 ₸298
50.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$0.49 ₸221
104.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.32 ₸595
19.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$0.99 ₸447
-32.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$2.60 ₸1,176
206.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$7.43 ₸3,358
-16.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.27 ₸572
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$2.09 ₸946
-2.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.19 ₸86.6
700.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$16.15 ₸7,301
73.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$1.15 ₸521
187.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$0.76 ₸343
80.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$5.44 ₸2,457
264.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$0.72 ₸324
152.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$22.8K ₸10.3M
30.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$34.7K ₸15.7M
-2.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$76.2 ₸34.4K
124.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$10.25 ₸4,634
129.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$16.18 ₸7,313
43.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$41.44 ₸18.7K
62.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$5.59 ₸2,527
66.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$165 ₸74.4K
223.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$4,335 ₸2.0M
286.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$51.7 ₸23.3K
92.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$43.19 ₸19.5K
0.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$102 ₸46.3K
7.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$82.7 ₸37.4K
43.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$362 ₸163.6K
129.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$201 ₸90.7K
209.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$588 ₸265.8K
171.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$492 ₸222.6K
137.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$1,192 ₸538.7K
389.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$847 ₸382.9K
359.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Saryagash
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
19.25
-66.49%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Saryagash: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Saryagash
$201 67.7% $421
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Saryagash
$201 22% $57
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Saryagash
$149 33.1% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Saryagash
$103 52.9% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Saryagash
$126 24.9% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Saryagash
$53 38.9% $34
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Saryagash
$22 50.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $362 in Saryagash. 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 $37.00 in Saryagash. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $201 – making Saryagash the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇰🇿 Saryagash
🕒 Local time
11:06 11:06 AM
15:06 3:06 PM
4 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Saryagash 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Saryagash

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 Saryagash: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Saryagash cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 90%, 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 $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,281 in Saryagash. 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 Saryagash, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 73% less in Saryagash. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $165 in Saryagash. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Saryagash?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Saryagash, where all-in costs run around $854, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Saryagash it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Saryagash more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Saryagash – 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 Saryagash?
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 Saryagash. 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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