Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Silistra

For one person, living is cheaper in Silistra: $864 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Silistra
Learn more

Silistra Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Silistra

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Silistra

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $864 in Silistra, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Silistra $864

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,230 in Silistra, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Silistra $1,230

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,595 in Silistra, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Silistra $1,595

Budapest costs about 87% more than Silistra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Silistra is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,523

$10.45 BGN 18.28

33.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

$24.10 BGN 42.17

154.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,306

$8.77 BGN 15.35

16.19%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,059

$1.67 BGN 2.92

95.21%

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

$2.14 Ft 694

$1.17 BGN 2.05

82.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 579

$0.81 BGN 1.41

119.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,204

$1.80 BGN 3.15

106.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,223

$1.99 BGN 3.48

89.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.78 BGN 3.11

-35.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 580

$0.86 BGN 1.50

108.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 807

$1.49 BGN 2.60

67.11%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,266

$2.22 BGN 3.89

75.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,604

$9.26 BGN 16.20

19.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,149

$6.35 BGN 11.12

4.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,767

$8.37 BGN 14.66

75.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 594

$1.30 BGN 2.28

40.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 664

$1.62 BGN 2.84

26.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 769

$1.75 BGN 3.06

35.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,266

$1.88 BGN 3.29

107.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 322

$0.93 BGN 1.63

6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

$0.72 BGN 1.25

38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 513

$0.55 BGN 0.97

187.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

$0.64 BGN 1.11

4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,584

$3.81 BGN 6.67

108.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,018

$5.23 BGN 9.15

18.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 413

$1.08 BGN 1.90

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 657

$1.68 BGN 2.94

20.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.89 BGN 1.55

70.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,095

$26.32 BGN 46.06

6.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,075

$1.13 BGN 1.97

192.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.66 BGN 1.16

107.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,436

$5.59 BGN 9.79

254.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 591

$1.43 BGN 2.50

27.27%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$30.4K BGN 53.2K

-2.01%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$21.8K BGN 38.1K

55.18%

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

$171 Ft 55.5K

$94.0 BGN 165

81.98%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,631

$14.84 BGN 25.98

58.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,560

$11.96 BGN 20.94

94.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

$31.12 BGN 54.5

117.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,133

$15.05 BGN 26.34

25.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,018

$6.88 BGN 12.04

35.17%

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

$533 Ft 173.1K

$227 BGN 398

134.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$2,327 BGN 4,072

620.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$30.01 BGN 52.5

231.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$19.01 BGN 33.27

128.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$64.3 BGN 113

71.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$51.2 BGN 89.6

132.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.6K

$329 BGN 576

152.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.9K

$248 BGN 433

151.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 517.2K

$334 BGN 585

376.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 379.9K

$243 BGN 425

381.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,215 BGN 2,126

379.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,229 BGN 2,151

216.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 535.9K

$721 BGN 1,261

129.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.99

115.72%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Silistra: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Silistra

$248 28.7% 60.2% $374

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Silistra

$192 22.2% 25.6% $66

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Silistra

$151 17.5% 32.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Silistra

$121 14% 44.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Silistra

$74 8.6% 55.8% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Silistra

$45 5.2% 47.9% $41

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Silistra

$34 4% 22.5% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $329 in Silistra. 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 129% 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 $24.00 in Silistra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $192 – making Silistra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇬 Silistra

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

37,923

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Silistra 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Budapest
Silistra

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 Silistra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 87%, 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 $1,296 in Silistra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 6% less in Silistra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $227 in Silistra. 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 Silistra, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Silistra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Silistra – 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 Silistra. 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.