Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ulan Ude

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,098 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
Learn more

Ulan Ude Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ulan Ude

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,098 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Ulan Ude $1,098

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,685 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Ulan Ude $1,685

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,272 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Ulan Ude $2,272

Budapest costs about 48% more than Ulan Ude, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Ulan Ude is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$6.81 ₽579

105.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$46.65 ₽3,969

29.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$6.95 ₽591

43.31%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.47 ₽296

-2.59%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.80 ₽154

18.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.73 ₽147

8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$3.65 ₽310

2.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$5.74 ₽488

-37.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.26 ₽107

-10.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.84 ₽71.7

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$0.45 ₽38.68

431.11%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$1.88 ₽160

103.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$11.60 ₽987

-2.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$5.90 ₽502

14.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$10.40 ₽885

41.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.21 ₽103

52.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.79 ₽152

12.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.17 ₽99.3

101.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.32 ₽198

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.58 ₽48.94

65.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.84 ₽71.5

22.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$3.47 ₽295

-55.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.73 ₽62.0

-9.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$2.85 ₽243

179.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$8.17 ₽695

-26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$0.58 ₽49.24

124.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.19 ₽101

74.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.46 ₽38.80

226.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$23.18 ₽1,972

19.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$1.21 ₽103

172.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.17 ₽14.61

664.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$7.10 ₽605

178.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.78 ₽66.1

132.05%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$47.6K ₽4.0M

-38.38%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$35.1K ₽3.0M

-2.76%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$118 ₽10.1K

43.59%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$3.50 ₽298

585.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$8.20 ₽698

185.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$23.55 ₽2,004

181.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$48.08 ₽4,091

-60.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$6.87 ₽585

38.57%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$70.4 ₽5,992

43.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$29.41 ₽2,503

46.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$117 ₽9,919

-3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$119 ₽10.1K

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$501 ₽42.6K

60.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$371 ₽31.5K

69.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$773 ₽65.7K

100.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$580 ₽49.3K

101.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,977 ₽168.2K

184.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,538 ₽130.9K

158.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$884 ₽75.2K

83.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

21.67

-70.33%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Ulan Ude

$371 34.2% 41.1% $258

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Ulan Ude

$207 19.1% 19.8% $51

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Ulan Ude

$161 14.8% 28.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Ulan Ude

$130 12% 40.2% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Ulan Ude

$151 13.9% 10.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Ulan Ude

$37 3.4% 56.3% $48

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Ulan Ude

$27 2.5% 37.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $501 in Ulan Ude. 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 84% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $47.00 in Ulan Ude. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $207 – making Ulan Ude the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

14:46 2:46 PM

6 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

436,138

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Ulan Ude 5,980 km ≈ 8 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 Ulan Ude: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,647 in Ulan Ude. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 19% less in Ulan Ude. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulan Ude, where all-in costs run around $1,098, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Ulan Ude it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulan Ude – 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 Ulan Ude. 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.