Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $906 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
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Shumen Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$906

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Shumen vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Shumen $906
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Shumen vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Shumen $1,409
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Shumen vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Shumen $1,912
Budapest $3,429

Shumen is about 44% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shumen sits 33% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.24 BGN 16.07

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-33.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.55 BGN 58.4

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-45.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 BGN 15.44

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-12.95%

Cappuccino

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-46.93%

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

$1.48 BGN 2.58

$2.14 Ft 690

-30.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 BGN 1.75

$1.78 Ft 577

-43.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-21.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 BGN 4.93

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-24.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BGN 3.15

$1.15 Ft 371

57.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.79 Ft 578

-42.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 BGN 4.22

$2.49 Ft 804

-2.41%

Eggs

$2.88 BGN 5.02

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-26.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 BGN 15.49

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-19.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.08 BGN 8.85

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-23.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 BGN 15.23

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-40.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.62

$1.83 Ft 591

-18.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 BGN 3.58

$2.05 Ft 661

0.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 BGN 3.80

$2.37 Ft 765

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 BGN 3.95

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-41.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.54

$0.99 Ft 320

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$1.00 Ft 322

31.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$1.58 Ft 511

-47.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.30

$0.67 Ft 216

11.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 BGN 6.41

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-53.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BGN 12.50

$6.22 Ft 2,009

15.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$1.27 Ft 411

-25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 BGN 2.44

$2.03 Ft 654

-31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 BGN 1.64

$1.52 Ft 490

-38.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.92 BGN 45.10

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-7.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 BGN 3.04

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-47.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 BGN 0.84

$1.37 Ft 442

-64.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BGN 2.64

$1.82 Ft 589

-16.48%

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

$30.3K BGN 52.8K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

1.78%

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

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-34.44%

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

$133 BGN 231

$171 Ft 55.3K

-22.45%

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

$17.28 BGN 30.07

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-26.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.28 BGN 30.06

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-25.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.57 BGN 67.1

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-42.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 BGN 19.72

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-39.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 BGN 11.82

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-26.99%

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

$570 BGN 991

$533 Ft 172.3K

6.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K BGN 17.8K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-38.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.34 BGN 84.1

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-51.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 BGN 89.2

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

17.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 BGN 164

$110 Ft 35.7K

-14.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 BGN 105

$119 Ft 38.4K

-49.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 BGN 455

$830 Ft 268.3K

-68.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 BGN 306

$622 Ft 200.9K

-71.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 BGN 748

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-73.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 BGN 567

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-72.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 BGN 2,197

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-78.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 BGN 1,716

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-74.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,004 BGN 1,747

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-39.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

6.45

-49.61%

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

Last update for Shumen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shumen

$211 23.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 22.3% $47

Accommodation & Living

Shumen

$176 19.4%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 254% $446

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shumen

$167 18.5%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 30.3% $51

Eating Out

Shumen

$151 16.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 47.2% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Shumen

$114 12.6%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 46.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Shumen

$52 5.8%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 65.1% $34

Getting Around

Shumen

$34 3.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 30.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $262 in Shumen 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 64% 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 $34.00 in Shumen versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $258 – making Shumen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Shumen

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

1 h behind Shumen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,504

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shumen Budapest 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shumen
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

Shumen vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,359 per month in Shumen 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 Shumen, 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 Shumen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $570 per month in Shumen 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 Shumen, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Shumen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shumen – 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 Shumen. 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.