Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Shumen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $906 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
Learn more

Shumen Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Shumen

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $906 in Shumen, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Shumen $906

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,409 in Shumen, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Shumen $1,409

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,912 in Shumen, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Shumen $1,912

Budapest costs about 79% more than Shumen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Shumen is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$9.24 BGN 16.07

50.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$33.55 BGN 58.4

82.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$8.87 BGN 15.44

14.88%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.73 BGN 3.01

88.44%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.48 BGN 2.58

44.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.00 BGN 1.75

78.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.92 BGN 5.08

27.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.83 BGN 4.93

33.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.81 BGN 3.15

-36.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.03 BGN 1.79

73.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$2.43 BGN 4.22

2.47%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.88 BGN 5.02

35.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.90 BGN 15.49

24.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.08 BGN 8.85

30.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.75 BGN 15.23

67.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.50 BGN 2.62

22.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.06 BGN 3.58

-0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$2.18 BGN 3.80

8.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.27 BGN 3.95

71.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$2.04 BGN 3.54

-51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.31 BGN 2.28

-23.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.83 BGN 1.44

90.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.75 BGN 1.30

-10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.68 BGN 6.41

116.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.18 BGN 12.50

-13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.95 BGN 1.66

33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.40 BGN 2.44

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.94 BGN 1.64

61.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$25.92 BGN 45.10

8.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.75 BGN 3.04

89.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.48 BGN 0.84

185.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.52 BGN 2.64

19.74%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$30.3K BGN 52.8K

-1.74%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

52.54%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$133 BGN 231

28.95%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$17.28 BGN 30.07

36.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$17.28 BGN 30.06

34.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$38.57 BGN 67.1

75.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$11.34 BGN 19.72

66.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.79 BGN 11.82

36.97%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$570 BGN 991

-6.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$10.2K BGN 17.8K

63.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$48.34 BGN 84.1

106.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$51.3 BGN 89.2

-15.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$94.1 BGN 164

17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$60.2 BGN 105

97.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$262 BGN 455

217.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$176 BGN 306

253.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$430 BGN 748

270.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$326 BGN 567

258.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,263 BGN 2,197

361.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$986 BGN 1,716

294.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$1,004 BGN 1,747

64.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.25

98.46%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shumen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Shumen

$176 19.4% 71.7% $446

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Shumen

$211 23.3% 18.2% $47

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Shumen

$151 16.7% 32.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Shumen

$167 18.5% 23.2% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Shumen

$114 12.6% 31.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Shumen

$52 5.8% 39.4% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Shumen

$34 3.7% 23.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $262 in Shumen. 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 64% 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 $34.00 in Shumen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $211 – making Shumen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇬 Shumen

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

01:38 1:38 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

85,504

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Shumen 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Shumen

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 Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 79%, 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 $1,359 in Shumen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 8% less in Shumen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $570 in Shumen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shumen, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Shumen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shumen – 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 Shumen. 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.