Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Murmansk and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Murmansk: $1,033 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Murmansk
Learn more

Murmansk Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Murmansk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,033

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Murmansk vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Murmansk $1,033
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,618 per month in Murmansk vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Murmansk $1,618
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,204 per month in Murmansk vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Murmansk $2,204
Budapest $3,429

Murmansk is about 36% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Murmansk sits 23% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 ₽976

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-16.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.34 ₽3,033

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-40.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.17 ₽515

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-39.45%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ₽232

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-15.03%

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

$1.10 ₽92.0

$2.14 Ft 690

-48.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽48.30

$1.78 Ft 577

-67.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₽130

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₽224

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-28.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 ₽92.9

$1.15 Ft 371

-3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₽62.9

$1.79 Ft 578

-58.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ₽113

$2.49 Ft 804

-45.78%

Eggs

$1.55 ₽129

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-60.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 ₽926

$11.10 Ft 3,587

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 ₽434

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-21.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 ₽962

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-21.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ₽139

$1.83 Ft 591

-9.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₽133

$2.05 Ft 661

-21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ₽170

$2.37 Ft 765

-13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₽234

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₽72.9

$0.99 Ft 320

-12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ₽51.4

$1.00 Ft 322

-38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₽93.2

$1.58 Ft 511

-29.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₽63.6

$0.67 Ft 216

13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ₽270

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-59.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 ₽581

$6.22 Ft 2,009

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₽92.0

$1.27 Ft 411

-13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₽176

$2.03 Ft 654

3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₽47.24

$1.52 Ft 490

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.22 ₽2,522

$28.02 Ft 9,053

7.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ₽176

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-36.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₽29.55

$1.37 Ft 442

-74.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 ₽479

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-71.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₽68.2

$1.82 Ft 589

-54.95%

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

$35.2K ₽2.9M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

18.25%

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

$32.8K ₽2.7M

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-2.94%

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

$123 ₽10.3K

$171 Ft 55.3K

-28.00%

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

$5.90 ₽493

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-74.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.23 ₽687

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-64.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.55 ₽2,884

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-48.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.90 ₽2,245

$18.89 Ft 6,104

42.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 ₽525

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-32.37%

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

$385 ₽32.1K

$533 Ft 172.3K

-27.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,488 ₽458.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-67.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 ₽6,593

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-20.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 ₽4,379

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

20.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₽10.1K

$110 Ft 35.7K

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ₽8,704

$119 Ft 38.4K

-12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₽40.7K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-41.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₽23.5K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-54.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ₽75.7K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ₽42.5K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-56.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,056 ₽171.6K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-64.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 ₽109.6K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-66.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

6.45

232.56%

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

Last update for Murmansk: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Murmansk

$281 27.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 121% $341

Groceries & Markets

Murmansk

$205 19.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 25.7% $53

Eating Out

Murmansk

$165 16%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 35% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Murmansk

$161 15.6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 4.3% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Murmansk

$137 13.3%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 58.7% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Murmansk

$47 4.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 82.8% $39

Getting Around

Murmansk

$36 3.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 21.7% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $488 in Murmansk 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Murmansk versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $258 – making Murmansk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Murmansk

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

1 h behind Murmansk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

282,851

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Murmansk Budapest 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Murmansk
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

Murmansk vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Murmansk 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 Murmansk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Murmansk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $385 per month in Murmansk and $533 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 Murmansk, where all-in costs run around $1,033, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Murmansk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Murmansk – 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 Murmansk. 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.