Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,098 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
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Ulan Ude Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,098

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,098 per month in Ulan Ude vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Ulan Ude $1,098
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,685 per month in Ulan Ude vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Ulan Ude $1,685
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,272 per month in Ulan Ude vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Ulan Ude $2,272
Budapest $3,489

Ulan Ude is about 32% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ulan Ude sits 18% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 ₽579

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-51.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 ₽3,969

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-22.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 ₽591

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-30.22%

Cappuccino

$3.47 ₽296

$3.38 Ft 1,100

2.66%

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

$1.80 ₽154

$2.13 Ft 692

-15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₽147

$1.87 Ft 608

-7.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₽310

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 ₽488

$3.57 Ft 1,162

60.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₽107

$1.13 Ft 368

11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ₽71.7

$1.84 Ft 599

-54.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.45 ₽38.68

$2.39 Ft 777

-81.17%

Eggs

$1.88 ₽160

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-50.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 ₽987

$11.33 Ft 3,686

2.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 ₽502

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 ₽885

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-29.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₽103

$1.84 Ft 597

-34.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽152

$2.01 Ft 653

-10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 ₽99.3

$2.36 Ft 767

-50.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₽198

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₽48.94

$0.96 Ft 313

-39.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ₽71.5

$1.03 Ft 334

-18.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.47 ₽295

$1.56 Ft 509

122.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₽62.0

$0.66 Ft 216

10.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ₽243

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-64.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 ₽695

$6.01 Ft 1,954

35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽49.24

$1.30 Ft 421

-55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₽101

$2.08 Ft 676

-42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.80

$1.50 Ft 489

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.18 ₽1,972

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-16.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ₽103

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-63.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₽14.61

$1.30 Ft 424

-86.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ₽605

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-64.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 ₽66.1

$1.81 Ft 591

-56.91%

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

$47.6K ₽4.0M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

62.29%

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

$35.1K ₽3.0M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

2.84%

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

$118 ₽10.1K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-30.36%

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

$3.50 ₽298

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-85.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.20 ₽698

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-64.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.55 ₽2,004

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-64.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.08 ₽4,091

$19.18 Ft 6,239

150.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 ₽585

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-27.84%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 ₽5,992

$101 Ft 33.0K

-30.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.41 ₽2,503

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₽9,919

$113 Ft 36.7K

3.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₽10.1K

$119 Ft 38.6K

0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 ₽42.6K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 ₽31.5K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-41.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₽65.7K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-50.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 ₽49.3K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-50.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,977 ₽168.2K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-64.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 ₽130.9K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-61.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$884 ₽75.2K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-45.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.67

6.43

237.01%

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

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulan Ude

$371 34.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 69.7% $258

Groceries & Markets

Ulan Ude

$207 19.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 24.7% $51

Eating Out

Ulan Ude

$161 14.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 39.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Ulan Ude

$151 13.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 12.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulan Ude

$130 12%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 67.1% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Ulan Ude

$37 3.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 129% $48

Getting Around

Ulan Ude

$27 2.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 60.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $501 in Ulan Ude versus $805 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 84% 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 $47.00 in Ulan Ude versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $258 – making Ulan Ude the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

6 h behind Ulan Ude

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

436,138

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ulan Ude Budapest 5,980 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulan Ude
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

Ulan Ude vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,647 per month in Ulan Ude and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 19% less in Ulan Ude. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulan Ude, where all-in costs run around $1,098, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Ulan Ude it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulan Ude – 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 Ulan Ude. 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.