Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Volgograd

For one person, living is cheaper in Volgograd: $859 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 Volgograd
Learn more

Volgograd Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Volgograd

🇷🇺 Russia

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Volgograd

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $859 in Volgograd, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Volgograd $859

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,415 in Volgograd, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Volgograd $1,415

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,970 in Volgograd, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Volgograd $1,970

Budapest costs about 88% more than Volgograd, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.66 ₽556

109.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$47.77 ₽3,987

28.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.34 ₽529

60.73%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.70 ₽226

20.74%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.91 ₽75.7

135.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.58 ₽48.56

206.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.16 ₽96.7

219.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.74 ₽146

116.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.04 ₽86.6

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.60 ₽49.87

198.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.12 ₽93.4

122.32%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.37 ₽114

184.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.33 ₽611

51.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.62 ₽385

43.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$11.10 ₽926

32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.19 ₽99.2

53.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.45 ₽121

41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.41 ₽118

68.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.41 ₽201

61.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.71 ₽59.3

39.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.49 ₽41.29

104.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.37 ₽30.96

327.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.66 ₽55.0

1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$2.81 ₽235

183.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$8.82 ₽736

-29.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.10 ₽91.6

15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.89 ₽158

7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.47 ₽39.01

223.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$15.13 ₽1,263

85.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.01 ₽252

558.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$0.80 ₽67.1

127.50%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$26.5K ₽2.2M

12.38%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$82.8 ₽6,908

106.74%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$10.12 ₽845

132.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$7.94 ₽663

193.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$109 ₽9,057

-8.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$70.6 ₽5,892

-38.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$54.7 ₽4,564

101.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$177 ₽14.8K

-32.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$585 ₽48.9K

41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$260 ₽21.7K

139.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,182 ₽98.6K

34.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$526 ₽43.9K

122.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,403 ₽117.1K

315.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,297 ₽108.2K

199.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$596 ₽49.8K

176.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

21.33

-69.76%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Volgograd: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Volgograd

$260 30.2% 58.2% $362

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Volgograd

$176 20.5% 31.6% $81

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Volgograd

$120 14% 46.2% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Volgograd

$101 11.7% 53.7% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Volgograd

$185 21.5% 10.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Volgograd

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Volgograd

$17 * 2% 61.6% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $585 in Volgograd. 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 177% 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 $48.00 in Volgograd. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $176 – making Volgograd the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Volgograd

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,004,763

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Budapest Volgograd 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Volgograd

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 Volgograd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 88%, 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 $1,289 in Volgograd. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 85% less in Volgograd. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 Volgograd, where all-in costs run around $859, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Volgograd it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Volgograd – 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 Volgograd. 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.