Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Arad: $873 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Arad

🇷🇴 Romania

$873

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $873 per month in Arad vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Arad $873
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,366 per month in Arad vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Arad $1,366
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,858 per month in Arad vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Arad $1,858
Budapest $3,429

Arad is about 46% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Arad sits 35% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 RON 38.63

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-41.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.35 RON 153

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-47.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 RON 33.83

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-29.83%

Cappuccino

$2.63 RON 12.45

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-19.33%

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

$1.48 RON 7.00

$2.14 Ft 690

-30.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RON 7.53

$1.78 Ft 577

-10.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 RON 10.15

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-42.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 RON 11.71

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-34.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 RON 5.32

$1.15 Ft 371

-2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.76

$1.79 Ft 578

-31.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.16

$2.49 Ft 804

-30.92%

Eggs

$2.57 RON 12.17

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 RON 33.94

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-35.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 RON 23.03

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-26.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 RON 47.93

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-31.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.83 Ft 591

-12.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$2.05 Ft 661

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.02

$2.37 Ft 765

-28.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.60

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-64.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$0.99 Ft 320

-23.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$1.00 Ft 322

-15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 RON 5.60

$1.58 Ft 511

-25.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.63

$0.67 Ft 216

14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 RON 28.14

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-25.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 RON 27.10

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.78

$1.27 Ft 411

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.40

$2.03 Ft 654

-12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.11

$1.52 Ft 490

-42.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.34 RON 139

$28.02 Ft 9,053

4.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 RON 3.71

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-76.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.37 Ft 442

-21.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 RON 49.22

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-47.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.72

$1.82 Ft 589

1.10%

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

$27.8K RON 131.8K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-6.54%

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

$24.9K RON 117.8K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-26.33%

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

$125 RON 590

$171 Ft 55.3K

-27.14%

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

$8.19 RON 38.74

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-65.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.28 RON 34.42

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-68.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 RON 161

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-49.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.83 RON 146

$18.89 Ft 6,104

63.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 RON 24.91

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-43.33%

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

$159 RON 752

$533 Ft 172.3K

-70.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,847 RON 18.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-77.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.29 RON 200

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-57.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.47 RON 102

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-50.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 RON 335

$110 Ft 35.7K

-35.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 RON 343

$119 Ft 38.4K

-39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 RON 1,571

$830 Ft 268.3K

-60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 RON 1,052

$622 Ft 200.9K

-64.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 RON 2,505

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-66.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 RON 1,951

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-64.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,420 RON 6,719

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-75.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,062 RON 5,027

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-72.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 RON 4,349

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-44.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.35

6.45

13.95%

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

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arad

$222 25.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 180% $400

Groceries & Markets

Arad

$188 21.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 37.3% $70

Eating Out

Arad

$146 16.8%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 52.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arad

$140 16%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 55.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Arad

$93 10.7%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 79.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Arad

$45 5.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 92.9% $41

Getting Around

Arad

$39 4.5%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 13.6% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Arad 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 80% 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 $32.00 in Arad versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $258 – making Arad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Arad

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

1 h behind Arad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,074

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 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 RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Arad Budapest 230 km

From you

Arad
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

Arad vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest costs about 85% more than Arad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,310 per month in Arad 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 Arad, 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 $32.00 in Arad and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $873 in Arad and $1,619 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 85%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arad, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Arad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arad costs $873 versus $1,619 in Budapest. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Arad. 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.