Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Semey

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $712 in Semey, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Semey $712

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,147 in Semey, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Semey $1,147

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,581 in Semey, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Semey $1,581

Budapest costs about 127% more than Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Semey is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$5.00 ₸2,261

178.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$21.88 ₸9,891

179.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.48 ₸2,477

85.95%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.69 ₸764

92.90%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.79 ₸357

170.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.48 ₸216

270.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$0.85 ₸384

336.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.37 ₸621

175.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.99 ₸449

16.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.37 ₸165

383.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.86 ₸839

33.87%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.51 ₸681

158.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$5.36 ₸2,424

107.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.74 ₸1,691

77.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$5.28 ₸2,388

178.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.21 ₸547

51.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.73 ₸782

18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.82 ₸821

30.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.67 ₸756

133.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.42 ₸189

135.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.56 ₸255

78.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.32 ₸595

19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.99 ₸445

-32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.51 ₸1,134

217.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.13 ₸3,221

-12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.37 ₸617

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$2.20 ₸993

-7.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.23 ₸104

560.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$17.26 ₸7,802

62.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.30 ₸588

154.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$1.15 ₸519

19.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$6.52 ₸2,949

204.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.68 ₸305

167.65%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$25.4K ₸11.5M

17.54%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.9K ₸11.7M

30.68%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$32.84 ₸14.8K

421.07%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$9.06 ₸4,095

159.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$19.03 ₸8,604

22.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$42.09 ₸19.0K

60.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$10.97 ₸4,959

72.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$4.55 ₸2,058

104.40%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$135 ₸61.1K

294.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,484 ₸2.0M

273.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$28.65 ₸13.0K

247.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$25.32 ₸11.4K

71.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$98.0 ₸44.3K

12.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$74.0 ₸33.5K

60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$340 ₸153.6K

144.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$230 ₸103.8K

170.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$615 ₸278.1K

159.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$487 ₸220.1K

140.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,094 ₸494.4K

433.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$869 ₸392.9K

347.46%

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 Semey: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Semey

$230 32.3% 63.1% $392

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Semey

$155 21.7% 40% $103

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Semey

$89 12.5% 60.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Semey

$61 8.6% 72% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Semey

$102 14.3% 39.3% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Semey

$51 7.2% 40.5% $35

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Semey

$25 3.5% 43% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $340 in Semey. 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 $22.00 in Semey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $155 – making Semey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

13:56 1:56 PM

4 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

310,456

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Semey 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 127%, 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 $1,068 in Semey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 62% less in Semey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $135 in Semey. 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 Semey, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Semey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Semey – 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 Semey. 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.