Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: $1,500 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Budapest despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Learn more

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,500 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $1,500

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,506 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $2,506

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $3,512 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $3,512

Budapest costs about 8% more than Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Budapest and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$17.70 ₽1,506

-20.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$81.0 ₽6,895

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$10.63 ₽904

-6.30%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.47 ₽295

-2.59%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.81 ₽154

17.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.90 ₽76.5

107.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$5.20 ₽442

-27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$5.72 ₽487

-37.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.81 ₽154

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$2.34 ₽199

-21.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.58 ₽304

6.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$18.63 ₽1,585

-39.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$8.44 ₽719

-20.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$16.29 ₽1,386

-9.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$4.76 ₽405

-61.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$3.14 ₽268

-35.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$2.37 ₽202

-72.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$3.45 ₽293

-4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$0.85 ₽72.2

112.94%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$115 ₽9,759

48.17%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$14.32 ₽1,218

67.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$9.63 ₽819

143.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$35.90 ₽3,054

-46.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$7.02 ₽597

35.61%

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

$179 ₽15.2K

-43.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$120 ₽10.2K

-5.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$818 ₽69.6K

-1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$638 ₽54.3K

-1.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,774 ₽150.9K

-12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,392 ₽118.5K

-16.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,413 ₽120.2K

15.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

24.33

-73.57%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$638 43.5% 1.4% $8.7

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$274 * 18.7% 6.3% $16

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$263 18% 17.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$139 9.5% 36.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$134 * 9.2% 20.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$14 * 1% 83.5% $71

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$3.5 * 0.2% 92.1% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $818 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 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 15% 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 $81.0 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $274 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇺 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

19:03 7:03 PM

9 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

180,467

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 8,180 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,250 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest and $81.0 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, where all-in costs run around $1,500, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 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.