Moving to Hungary from Russia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Russia to Hungary? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Russia to Hungary, you would find that Hungary is 19.1% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB6,400,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly HUF29,200,000 in Hungary to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Hungarian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Budapest averages 60°F vs 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Russia and Hungary.
What does your salary buy?
RUB6,400,000 → HUF29,200,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Hungary
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 24.7% more
Groceries
pay 30.9% more
Transportation
pay 43.8% more
Housing
pay 17.0% more
Childcare
pay 17.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 23.7% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Hungary cost about 5% more than cities in Russia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Russia to Hungary.
people moved from Russia to Hungary · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Hungary compared to Russia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Hungary performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Russia generally does better on environment, though Hungary leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Russia generally does better on infrastructure, though Hungary leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Hungary leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Russia generally does better on family life, though Hungary leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Moscow | Budapest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 43°/31°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Budapest |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 37°/27°F (2.6°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 41°/29°F (5.1°/-1.8°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.0°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.8°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 72°/53°F (22.4°/11.5°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.4°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 82°/62°F (27.9°/16.4°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 81°/61°F (27.4°/16.0°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.8°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 61°/45°F (16.1°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 47°/36°F (8.5°/2.3°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Hungarian Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia and Hungary. To live, work, or study long-term in Hungary, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Hungary's immigration authority.
Russia passport holder visiting Hungary
Visa Required
Hungary passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Hungary than Russia?
On average Hungary is around 19% pricier than Russia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Hungary?
Budget about HUF7,300,000 for 3 months in Hungary (based on a RUB6,400,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Hungary?
Connectivity is usually fine (Hungary: 37.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Hungary offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Hungary safe for expats?
Hungary performs significantly better than Russia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Hungary is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Russia.
How is healthcare in Hungary compared to Russia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Hungary leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Hungary, compared to 51.1 in Russia. Hungary scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Hungary compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Budapest is 60°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Budapest receives around 21.0 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Hungary?
The official language in Hungary is Hungarian. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
