Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarkand and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarkand: $630 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Samarkand
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Samarkand Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Samarkand

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$630

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $630 per month in Samarkand vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Samarkand $630
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,000 per month in Samarkand vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Samarkand $1,000
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $1,371 per month in Samarkand vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Samarkand $1,371
Budapest $3,483

Samarkand is about 62% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Samarkand sits 54% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 UZS 80.6K

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-52.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.23 UZS 231.7K

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-68.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 UZS 59.3K

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-52.56%

Cappuccino

$2.42 UZS 29.2K

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-30.06%

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

$0.70 UZS 8,417

$2.07 Ft 669

-66.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 UZS 2,498

$1.77 Ft 572

-88.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 UZS 20.3K

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-54.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 UZS 26.2K

$3.80 Ft 1,229

-42.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 UZS 12.7K

$1.16 Ft 374

-8.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 UZS 3,807

$1.85 Ft 598

-82.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 UZS 19.3K

$2.40 Ft 776

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.32 UZS 15.9K

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-66.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 UZS 97.7K

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-28.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 UZS 51.1K

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-38.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 UZS 127.9K

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-26.78%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 UZS 10.2K

$1.88 Ft 607

-54.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 UZS 21.1K

$2.14 Ft 693

-18.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 UZS 20.5K

$2.30 Ft 744

-26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 UZS 20.3K

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-58.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 UZS 5,872

$1.02 Ft 329

-51.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.18 UZS 2,171

$0.99 Ft 320

-81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 UZS 2,875

$1.58 Ft 510

-84.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 UZS 4,828

$0.70 Ft 225

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 UZS 20.3K

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-78.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.38 UZS 40.7K

$6.18 Ft 1,997

-45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 UZS 12.3K

$1.24 Ft 401

-17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 UZS 24.4K

$2.06 Ft 666

-1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 UZS 2,882

$1.59 Ft 513

-84.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.41 UZS 41.1K

$27.52 Ft 8,893

-87.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 UZS 3,945

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-90.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 UZS 3,857

$1.33 Ft 431

-75.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 UZS 39.3K

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-84.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 UZS 14.3K

$1.93 Ft 624

-38.34%

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

$17.6K UZS 212.0M

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-39.63%

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

$20.6K UZS 248.8M

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-40.55%

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

$41.34 UZS 498.2K

$175 Ft 56.4K

-76.32%

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

$3.86 UZS 46.5K

$23.62 Ft 7,631

-83.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.49 UZS 162.5K

$23.60 Ft 7,625

-42.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.33 UZS 461.9K

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-44.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.54 UZS 78.8K

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-66.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 UZS 37.2K

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-70.03%

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

$326 UZS 3.9M

$535 Ft 172.9K

-39.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,544 UZS 90.9M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-55.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.71 UZS 249.6K

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-79.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.13 UZS 507.7K

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-2.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 UZS 916.3K

$112 Ft 36.1K

-31.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.1 UZS 700.6K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-51.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 UZS 3.0M

$832 Ft 268.8K

-70.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 UZS 1.9M

$629 Ft 203.3K

-74.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 UZS 5.5M

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-71.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 UZS 3.7M

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-74.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,253 UZS 15.1M

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-78.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$538 UZS 6.5M

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-86.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$295 UZS 3.6M

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

-82.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.31

6.45

261.40%

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

Last update for Samarkand: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samarkand

$161 25.7%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 290% $468

Groceries & Markets

Samarkand

$156 24.8%

Budapest

$262 16% 67.5% $105

Eating Out

Samarkand

$114 18.1%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 99% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Samarkand

$89 14.1%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 89.7% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samarkand

$59 9.3%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 278% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Samarkand

$45 7.1%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 101% $45

Getting Around

Samarkand

$6.3 1%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 598% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $245 in Samarkand versus $832 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 480% 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 $19.00 in Samarkand versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $262 – making Samarkand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇿 Samarkand

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

22:22 10:22 PM

3 h behind Samarkand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,200

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to UZS – Uzbekistani Som Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇿 Uzbekistani Som (soʻm)

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to UZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samarkand Budapest 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Samarkand
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

Samarkand vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 161%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $944 per month in Samarkand and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 707% less in Samarkand. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $326 per month in Samarkand and $535 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Samarkand, where all-in costs run around $630, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Samarkand it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samarkand – 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 Samarkand. 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.