Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burgas and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Burgas: $1,222 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Burgas
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Burgas Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Burgas

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,222

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burgas and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Burgas and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Burgas vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Burgas $1,222
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,858 per month in Burgas vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Burgas $1,858
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,494 per month in Burgas vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Burgas $2,494
Budapest $3,489

Burgas is about 25% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Burgas sits 9% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.12 BGN 24.71

$13.99 Ft 4,551

0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.72 BGN 81.8

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-22.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 BGN 19.97

$9.96 Ft 3,241

14.56%

Cappuccino

$3.31 BGN 5.79

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-2.07%

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

$1.00 BGN 1.75

$2.13 Ft 692

-53.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 BGN 1.23

$1.87 Ft 608

-62.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 BGN 3.42

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 BGN 4.99

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-20.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 BGN 2.86

$1.13 Ft 368

45.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BGN 1.81

$1.84 Ft 599

-44.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 BGN 3.55

$2.39 Ft 777

-15.06%

Eggs

$3.40 BGN 5.95

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-11.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 BGN 18.03

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-9.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 BGN 16.29

$6.74 Ft 2,192

38.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 BGN 20.45

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-20.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 BGN 3.98

$1.84 Ft 597

23.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 BGN 3.51

$2.01 Ft 653

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 BGN 3.63

$2.36 Ft 767

-11.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 BGN 4.38

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-33.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 BGN 2.83

$0.96 Ft 313

68.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 BGN 2.53

$1.03 Ft 334

40.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 BGN 1.74

$1.56 Ft 509

-35.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 BGN 1.59

$0.66 Ft 216

37.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 BGN 6.16

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-55.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 BGN 11.82

$6.01 Ft 1,954

12.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 BGN 1.76

$1.30 Ft 421

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 BGN 3.30

$2.08 Ft 676

-9.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

$1.50 Ft 489

-42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.88 BGN 61.0

$27.61 Ft 8,982

26.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-48.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 BGN 1.29

$1.30 Ft 424

-43.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.20 BGN 21.35

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-38.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 BGN 3.00

$1.81 Ft 591

-4.97%

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

$30.2K BGN 52.9K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

3.08%

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

$22.9K BGN 40.0K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-32.94%

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

$103 BGN 179

$170 Ft 55.3K

-39.65%

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

$14.51 BGN 25.40

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-39.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.83 BGN 20.70

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-49.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.63 BGN 67.6

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-41.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.44 BGN 25.27

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-24.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 BGN 15.30

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-8.19%

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

$231 BGN 404

$537 Ft 174.6K

-57.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K BGN 25.8K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-11.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 BGN 103

$101 Ft 33.0K

-41.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 BGN 50.5

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-32.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 BGN 124

$113 Ft 36.7K

-37.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 BGN 130

$119 Ft 38.6K

-37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 BGN 940

$805 Ft 262.0K

-33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 BGN 771

$629 Ft 204.7K

-29.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 BGN 1,414

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-47.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 BGN 1,093

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-46.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,571 BGN 4,499

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-54.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,935 BGN 3,386

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-51.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,008 BGN 1,765

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-37.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

6.43

-49.46%

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

Last update for Burgas: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burgas

$441 35.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 42.8% $189

Groceries & Markets

Burgas

$250 20.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 3% $7.5

Eating Out

Burgas

$209 17%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 7.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burgas

$129 10.5%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 68.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Burgas

$105 8.5%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 61.5% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Burgas

$56 4.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 52% $29

Getting Around

Burgas

$44 3.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 0.7% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $537 in Burgas versus $805 in Budapest. 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 61% 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 $47.00 in Burgas versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $258 – making Burgas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Burgas

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

1 h behind Burgas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

189,741

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

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).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Burgas Budapest 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Burgas
Budapest

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

Burgas vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,834 per month in Burgas and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 26% less in Burgas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $231 per month in Burgas and $537 in Budapest. 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 Burgas, where all-in costs run around $1,222, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Burgas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Burgas – 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 Burgas. 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.