Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serov and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Serov: $1,074 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Serov
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Serov Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Serov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Serov vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Serov $1,074
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $1,647 per month in Serov vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Serov $1,647
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,219 per month in Serov vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Serov $2,219
Budapest $3,483

Serov is about 35% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 ₽814

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-30.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.37 ₽2,869

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-43.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 ₽492

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-43.20%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₽211

$3.46 Ft 1,117

-26.88%

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

$1.02 ₽85.0

$2.07 Ft 669

-50.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽50.8

$1.77 Ft 572

-65.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₽161

$3.69 Ft 1,191

-47.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₽256

$3.80 Ft 1,229

-19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 ₽109

$1.16 Ft 374

12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₽65.2

$1.85 Ft 598

-57.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ₽103

$2.40 Ft 776

-48.75%

Eggs

$1.63 ₽136

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-59.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 ₽1,054

$11.40 Ft 3,683

10.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 ₽420

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-26.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 ₽860

$14.49 Ft 4,682

-28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₽156

$1.88 Ft 607

-0.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽149

$2.14 Ft 693

-16.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 ₽151

$2.30 Ft 744

-21.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 ₽260

$4.04 Ft 1,304

-22.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ₽60.5

$1.02 Ft 329

-28.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₽46.63

$0.99 Ft 320

-43.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ₽113

$1.58 Ft 510

-14.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₽58.9

$0.70 Ft 225

1.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ₽272

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-59.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ₽631

$6.18 Ft 1,997

22.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₽85.9

$1.24 Ft 401

-16.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₽145

$2.06 Ft 666

-15.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ₽51.6

$1.59 Ft 513

-61.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₽229

$3.43 Ft 1,110

-20.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₽33.28

$1.33 Ft 431

-69.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 ₽430

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-74.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₽60.1

$1.93 Ft 624

-62.69%

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

$55.9K ₽4.7M

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

91.75%

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

$44.7K ₽3.7M

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

28.67%

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

$124 ₽10.4K

$175 Ft 56.4K

-28.95%

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

$5.67 ₽473

$23.62 Ft 7,631

-75.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.30 ₽609

$23.60 Ft 7,625

-69.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 ₽3,041

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-47.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.15 ₽2,016

$19.26 Ft 6,224

25.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 ₽582

$10.31 Ft 3,333

-32.40%

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

$371 ₽30.9K

$535 Ft 172.9K

-30.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,911 ₽576.8K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-58.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 ₽6,238

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 ₽3,956

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

9.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 ₽11.0K

$112 Ft 36.1K

18.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ₽8,045

$119 Ft 38.4K

-18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₽33.8K

$832 Ft 268.8K

-51.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₽30.3K

$629 Ft 203.3K

-42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 ₽74.6K

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 ₽52.0K

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-47.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,348 ₽196.0K

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-58.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,629 ₽135.9K

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-58.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

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 Serov: October 20, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Serov

$364 33.8%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 73.1% $266

Groceries & Markets

Serov

$210 19.6%

Budapest

$262 16% 24.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Serov

$158 14.7%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 6.7% $11

Eating Out

Serov

$148 13.8%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 52.5% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serov

$137 12.8%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 61.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Serov

$50 4.7%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 77.6% $39

Getting Around

Serov

$7.2 * 0.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 510% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $405 in Serov 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Serov versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $262 – making Serov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Serov

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

22:22 10:22 PM

3 h behind Serov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,366

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 20, 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 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Serov Budapest 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Serov
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

Serov vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,611 per month in Serov 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 Serov, 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 $34.00 in Serov and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Serov, where all-in costs run around $1,074, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Serov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Serov – 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 Serov. 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.