Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sumy

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumy: $973 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Sumy
Learn more

Sumy Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Sumy

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$973

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sumy

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $973 in Sumy, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Sumy $973

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,669 in Sumy, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Sumy $1,669

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,365 in Sumy, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Sumy $2,365

Budapest costs about 66% more than Sumy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Sumy is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.13 ₴500

25.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$33.38 ₴1,498

83.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.95 ₴357

28.18%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.69 ₴75.7

92.90%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.75 ₴33.57

185.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.55 ₴24.78

223.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.35 ₴60.8

174.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.96 ₴87.8

92.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.35 ₴60.6

-14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.83 ₴37.37

115.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.45 ₴64.9

71.72%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.06 ₴92.3

89.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$10.31 ₴463

7.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.36 ₴241

23.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.79 ₴395

67.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.20 ₴53.9

52.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.55 ₴69.5

32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.88 ₴84.2

26.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.81 ₴126

38.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.65 ₴29.22

52.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.46 ₴20.52

117.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.39 ₴62.3

13.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.66 ₴29.53

1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.86 ₴128

178.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.63 ₴253

10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.90 ₴40.26

41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$0.90 ₴40.28

125.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.34 ₴15.38

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$8.44 ₴379

231.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.23 ₴100

48.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.46 ₴20.57

197.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$4.37 ₴196

353.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.51 ₴67.9

20.53%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$29.1K ₴1.3M

2.32%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$22.2K ₴996.4K

52.32%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$100.0 ₴4,488

71.14%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.01 ₴315

235.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$6.54 ₴293

256.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$46.50 ₴2,087

45.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$21.44 ₴962

-11.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$3.56 ₴160

161.24%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$238 ₴10.7K

124.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$15.3K ₴686.2K

9.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$74.6 ₴3,346

33.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$31.08 ₴1,395

39.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$97.4 ₴4,372

13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$121 ₴5,432

-1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$545 ₴24.4K

52.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$306 ₴13.7K

103.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$998 ₴44.8K

59.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$845 ₴37.9K

38.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,641 ₴73.6K

255.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,360 ₴61.0K

185.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$380 ₴17.1K

334.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

15.9

-59.43%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sumy: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Sumy

$306 31.4% 50.8% $316

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Sumy

$191 19.6% 26.1% $67

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Sumy

$149 15.3% 33.2% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Sumy

$114 11.7% 47.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Sumy

$146 15% 13% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Sumy

$54 5.5% 37.7% $33

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Sumy

$14 1.5% 67.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $545 in Sumy. 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 334% 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 $33.00 in Sumy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $191 – making Sumy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇦 Sumy

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

14:43 2:43 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

267,633

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, 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).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 44.89 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.46 UAH (100 UAH = 1.98 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Sumy 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Sumy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 66%, 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 $1,459 in Sumy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 232% less in Sumy. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $238 in Sumy. 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 Sumy, where all-in costs run around $973, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Sumy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sumy – 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 Sumy. 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.