Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Veliko Tarnovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliko Tarnovo: $1,006 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Veliko Tarnovo
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Veliko Tarnovo Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Veliko Tarnovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Veliko Tarnovo

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,006 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Veliko Tarnovo $1,006

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,574 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Veliko Tarnovo $1,574

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,141 in Veliko Tarnovo, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Veliko Tarnovo $2,141

Budapest costs about 61% more than Veliko Tarnovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Veliko Tarnovo is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,523

$11.12 BGN 19.46

25.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.9K

$39.76 BGN 69.6

53.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,306

$9.61 BGN 16.83

6.04%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,059

$1.85 BGN 3.23

76.22%

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

$2.14 Ft 694

$1.31 BGN 2.30

63.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 579

$0.88 BGN 1.54

102.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,204

$2.03 BGN 3.55

82.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,223

$2.79 BGN 4.88

35.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 372

$1.86 BGN 3.25

-38.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 580

$1.05 BGN 1.85

70.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 807

$2.48 BGN 4.34

0.40%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,266

$3.67 BGN 6.43

6.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,604

$10.17 BGN 17.81

9.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,149

$8.00 BGN 14.00

-17.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,767

$12.43 BGN 21.76

18.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 594

$1.60 BGN 2.80

14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 664

$2.05 BGN 3.59

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 769

$1.96 BGN 3.43

20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,266

$2.58 BGN 4.51

51.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 322

$1.09 BGN 1.91

-9.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 323

$1.17 BGN 2.05

-14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 513

$0.98 BGN 1.71

61.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 217

$0.73 BGN 1.27

-8.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,584

$4.10 BGN 7.17

94.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,018

$6.72 BGN 11.75

-7.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 413

$1.21 BGN 2.11

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 657

$1.61 BGN 2.81

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 492

$0.90 BGN 1.57

68.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,095

$23.23 BGN 40.65

20.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,075

$1.16 BGN 2.03

185.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 444

$0.67 BGN 1.18

104.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,436

$11.18 BGN 19.57

77.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 591

$1.56 BGN 2.72

16.67%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.7M

$30.5K BGN 53.4K

-2.35%

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

$33.8K Ft 11.0M

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

10.44%

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

$171 Ft 55.5K

$95.9 BGN 168

78.53%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,631

$18.81 BGN 32.92

24.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,560

$15.86 BGN 27.75

46.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.9K

$30.50 BGN 53.4

121.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,133

$19.69 BGN 34.46

-4.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,018

$6.91 BGN 12.08

34.59%

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

$533 Ft 173.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.3K

$46.95 BGN 82.2

112.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.1K

$30.58 BGN 53.5

42.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.8K

$122 BGN 214

-9.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$93.1 BGN 163

27.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 269.6K

$351 BGN 614

136.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 201.9K

$260 BGN 456

138.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 517.2K

$572 BGN 1,000

178.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 379.9K

$420 BGN 735

178.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,407 BGN 4,211

142.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,364 BGN 2,387

185.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 535.9K

$952 BGN 1,666

73.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.74

135.40%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Veliko Tarnovo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Veliko Tarnovo

$260 25.9% 58.1% $362

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Veliko Tarnovo

$244 24.2% 5.6% $14

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Veliko Tarnovo

$164 16.3% 26.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Veliko Tarnovo

$131 13% 40.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Veliko Tarnovo

$132 13.1% 21.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Veliko Tarnovo

$44 4.4% 48.5% $42

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Veliko Tarnovo

$31 3.1% 29.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $351 in Veliko Tarnovo. 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 73% 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 $40.00 in Veliko Tarnovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $244 – making Veliko Tarnovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇧🇬 Veliko Tarnovo

🕒 Local time

23:44 11:44 PM

00:44 12:44 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

71,150

💱 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 = 363 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 →

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Budapest Veliko Tarnovo 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Budapest
Veliko Tarnovo

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 Veliko Tarnovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 61%, 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 $1,509 in Veliko Tarnovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 21% less in Veliko Tarnovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Veliko Tarnovo, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Veliko Tarnovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Veliko Tarnovo – 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 Veliko Tarnovo. 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.