Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kostroma and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostroma: $1,228 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kostroma
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Kostroma Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Kostroma

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,228

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kostroma 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 Kostroma and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Kostroma vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Kostroma $1,228
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,964 per month in Kostroma vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Kostroma $1,964
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,700 per month in Kostroma vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Kostroma $2,700
Budapest $3,429

Kostroma is about 24% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Kostroma sits 9% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 ₽978

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-15.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 ₽4,940

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-3.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 ₽610

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-28.26%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ₽308

$3.26 Ft 1,055

13.19%

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

$1.58 ₽132

$2.14 Ft 690

-26.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₽74.0

$1.78 Ft 577

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 ₽146

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-52.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 ₽449

$3.77 Ft 1,217

42.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₽107

$1.15 Ft 371

11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₽84.0

$1.79 Ft 578

-43.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ₽139

$2.49 Ft 804

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.96 ₽163

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 ₽1,222

$11.10 Ft 3,587

31.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 ₽547

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-1.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 ₽1,248

$14.69 Ft 4,745

1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₽173

$1.83 Ft 591

13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ₽147

$2.05 Ft 661

-14.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽169

$2.37 Ft 765

-14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ₽341

$3.90 Ft 1,260

4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽77.3

$0.99 Ft 320

-6.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 ₽62.4

$1.00 Ft 322

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 ₽136

$1.58 Ft 511

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₽76.7

$0.67 Ft 216

37.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 ₽296

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-55.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 ₽995

$6.22 Ft 2,009

91.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽100

$1.27 Ft 411

-5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₽221

$2.03 Ft 654

30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽40.96

$1.52 Ft 490

-67.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ₽289

$3.31 Ft 1,070

4.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₽29.46

$1.37 Ft 442

-74.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.76 ₽982

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-40.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₽69.2

$1.82 Ft 589

-54.40%

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

$39.5K ₽3.3M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

32.49%

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

$39.1K ₽3.3M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

15.69%

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

$188 ₽15.7K

$171 Ft 55.3K

9.78%

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

$9.10 ₽759

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-61.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.89 ₽825

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-57.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.56 ₽3,218

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-42.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.29 ₽2,027

$18.89 Ft 6,104

28.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 ₽797

$9.30 Ft 3,004

2.69%

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

$350 ₽29.2K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-34.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,197 ₽517.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-63.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 ₽9,247

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

11.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 ₽5,521

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

52.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 ₽12.2K

$110 Ft 35.7K

32.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 ₽15.0K

$119 Ft 38.4K

51.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ₽42.9K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-38.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₽23.0K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-55.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ₽67.7K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-49.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₽44.4K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-54.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 ₽184.4K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-62.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,486 ₽124.0K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-61.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$737 ₽61.5K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-55.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

6.45

203.26%

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

Last update for Kostroma: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kostroma

$275 22.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 126% $347

Groceries & Markets

Kostroma

$265 21.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 2.8% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Kostroma

$227 18.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 26% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kostroma

$207 16.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 5.4% $11

Eating Out

Kostroma

$189 15.4%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 17.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Kostroma

$58 4.7%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 49.4% $28

Getting Around

Kostroma

$7.2 * 0.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 515% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $515 in Kostroma versus $830 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 124% 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 $59.0 in Kostroma versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $265 in Kostroma vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Kostroma

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

05:38 5:38 AM

1 h behind Kostroma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,393

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

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).

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).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kostroma Budapest 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kostroma
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kostroma vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,842 per month in Kostroma and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Kostroma and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Budapest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostroma, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Kostroma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kostroma – 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 Kostroma. 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.