Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Volgograd and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Volgograd: $859 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Volgograd
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Volgograd Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Volgograd

🇷🇺 Russia

$859

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $859 per month in Volgograd vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Volgograd $859
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,415 per month in Volgograd vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Volgograd $1,415
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,970 per month in Volgograd vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Volgograd $1,970
Budapest $3,429

Volgograd is about 47% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Volgograd sits 36% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 ₽556

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-52.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.77 ₽3,987

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-21.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.34 ₽529

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-37.78%

Cappuccino

$2.70 ₽226

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-17.18%

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

$0.91 ₽75.7

$2.14 Ft 690

-57.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽48.56

$1.78 Ft 577

-67.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₽96.7

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-68.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₽146

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-53.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 ₽86.6

$1.15 Ft 371

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₽49.87

$1.79 Ft 578

-66.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ₽93.4

$2.49 Ft 804

-55.02%

Eggs

$1.37 ₽114

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-64.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 ₽611

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-33.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 ₽385

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-30.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 ₽926

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-24.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₽99.2

$1.83 Ft 591

-34.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₽121

$2.05 Ft 661

-29.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 ₽118

$2.37 Ft 765

-40.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 ₽201

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-38.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₽59.3

$0.99 Ft 320

-28.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₽41.29

$1.00 Ft 322

-51.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 ₽30.96

$1.58 Ft 511

-76.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₽55.0

$0.67 Ft 216

-1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₽235

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-64.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.82 ₽736

$6.22 Ft 2,009

41.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₽91.6

$1.27 Ft 411

-13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₽158

$2.03 Ft 654

-6.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₽39.01

$1.52 Ft 490

-69.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.13 ₽1,263

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-46.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ₽252

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-84.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₽67.1

$1.82 Ft 589

-56.04%

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

$26.5K ₽2.2M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-11.01%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

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

$82.8 ₽6,908

$171 Ft 55.3K

-51.63%

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

$10.12 ₽845

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-56.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.94 ₽663

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-65.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ₽9,057

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

8.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 ₽5,892

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

62.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ₽4,564

$110 Ft 35.7K

-50.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 ₽14.8K

$119 Ft 38.4K

49.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 ₽48.9K

$830 Ft 268.3K

-29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 ₽21.7K

$622 Ft 200.9K

-58.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 ₽98.6K

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-25.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₽43.9K

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-55.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 ₽117.1K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-75.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,297 ₽108.2K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-66.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 ₽49.8K

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-63.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

6.45

230.70%

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

Last update for Volgograd: 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

Volgograd

$260 30.2%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 139% $362

Clothing & Footwear

Volgograd

$185 21.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 9.4% $17

Groceries & Markets

Volgograd

$176 20.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 46.2% $81

Eating Out

Volgograd

$120 14%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 85.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Volgograd

$101 11.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 116% $117

Getting Around

Volgograd

$17 * 2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 160% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Volgograd

- * 0%

Budapest

$86 5.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $585 in Volgograd 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 177% 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 $48.00 in Volgograd versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $258 – making Volgograd the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Volgograd

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:44 7:44 AM

06:44 6:44 AM

1 h behind Volgograd

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,004,763

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 →

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Between locations

Volgograd Budapest 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Volgograd
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

Volgograd vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,289 per month in Volgograd 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 Volgograd, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Volgograd. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 Volgograd, where all-in costs run around $859, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Volgograd it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Volgograd – 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 Volgograd. 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.