Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Veliky Novgorod

For one person, living is cheaper in Veliky Novgorod: $791 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Veliky Novgorod
Learn more

Veliky Novgorod Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Veliky Novgorod

🇷🇺 Russia

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Veliky Novgorod

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $791 in Veliky Novgorod, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Veliky Novgorod $791

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,322 in Veliky Novgorod, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Veliky Novgorod $1,322

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,853 in Veliky Novgorod, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Veliky Novgorod $1,853

Budapest costs about 105% more than Veliky Novgorod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Veliky Novgorod is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.52 ₽711

63.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$41.72 ₽3,482

46.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.26 ₽439

93.73%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.10 ₽175

55.24%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.73 ₽61.0

193.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.37 ₽31.26

381.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.04 ₽86.6

256.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.84 ₽153

104.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.10 ₽91.5

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.69 ₽57.7

159.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.70 ₽142

46.47%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.27 ₽106

207.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$10.67 ₽891

4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.24 ₽521

6.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$5.89 ₽491

149.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.57 ₽131

16.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.65 ₽138

24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.64 ₽137

44.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$3.18 ₽265

22.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.68 ₽56.8

45.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.62 ₽51.3

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.26 ₽105

25.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.80 ₽66.5

-16.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.96 ₽247

168.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.90 ₽492

5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.74 ₽61.4

71.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$0.91 ₽75.9

123.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.53 ₽43.84

186.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$33.40 ₽2,788

-16.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.82 ₽152

81.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.17 ₽13.85

705.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.50 ₽292

466.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.87 ₽72.5

109.20%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$18.1K ₽1.5M

64.23%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$32.1K ₽2.7M

5.33%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$44.70 ₽3,730

282.82%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$5.33 ₽445

341.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$5.84 ₽487

298.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$33.20 ₽2,771

103.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$21.55 ₽1,799

-12.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$5.27 ₽440

76.47%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$635 ₽53.0K

-15.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$17.2K ₽1.4M

-2.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$35.26 ₽2,942

182.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$29.96 ₽2,501

45.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$100 ₽8,370

10.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$70.2 ₽5,862

69.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$356 ₽29.7K

133.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$238 ₽19.9K

161.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$660 ₽55.0K

141.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$480 ₽40.0K

143.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,713 ₽143.0K

240.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,213 ₽101.3K

220.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$770 ₽64.3K

114.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

19.5

-66.92%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Veliky Novgorod: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Veliky Novgorod

$238 30.1% 61.7% $384

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Veliky Novgorod

$186 23.5% 27.9% $72

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Veliky Novgorod

$122 15.5% 45.1% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Veliky Novgorod

$56 7.1% 74.4% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Veliky Novgorod

$106 13.4% 36.7% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Veliky Novgorod

$44 5.5% 49.2% $42

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Veliky Novgorod

$38 4.8% 13.8% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $356 in Veliky Novgorod. 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 114% 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 $42.00 in Veliky Novgorod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $186 – making Veliky Novgorod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Veliky Novgorod

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

10:57 10:57 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

223,191

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Veliky Novgorod 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Veliky Novgorod

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 Veliky Novgorod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 105%, 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 $1,186 in Veliky Novgorod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Veliky Novgorod, 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 Veliky Novgorod. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $635 in Veliky Novgorod. 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 Veliky Novgorod, where all-in costs run around $791, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Veliky Novgorod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Veliky Novgorod – 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 Veliky Novgorod. 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.