Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacau and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $913 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$913

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Bacau vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Bacau $913
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,548 per month in Bacau vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Bacau $1,548
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,182 per month in Bacau vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Bacau $2,182
Budapest $3,429

Bacau is about 44% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bacau sits 32% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.05 RON 66.5

$13.94 Ft 4,503

0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 RON 402

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

38.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 RON 34.96

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-27.48%

Cappuccino

$1.98 RON 9.37

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-39.26%

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

$1.94 RON 9.16

$2.14 Ft 690

-9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RON 8.97

$1.78 Ft 577

6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 RON 14.96

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-16.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 RON 5.76

$1.15 Ft 371

6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 RON 3.09

$1.79 Ft 578

-63.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.74

$2.49 Ft 804

-34.14%

Eggs

$3.39 RON 16.03

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 RON 36.87

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 RON 25.67

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-17.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 RON 39.86

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-42.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 RON 5.41

$1.83 Ft 591

-37.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.06

$2.05 Ft 661

-27.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$2.37 Ft 765

-34.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 RON 8.24

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-55.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.43

$0.99 Ft 320

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RON 3.07

$1.00 Ft 322

-35.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$1.58 Ft 511

-51.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RON 3.23

$0.67 Ft 216

1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 RON 25.87

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-31.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 RON 24.02

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-18.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$1.27 Ft 411

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.78

$2.03 Ft 654

-39.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 RON 3.51

$1.52 Ft 490

-51.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.14 RON 138

$28.02 Ft 9,053

4.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 RON 2.92

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-81.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 RON 3.17

$1.37 Ft 442

-51.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 RON 33.51

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-64.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.50

$1.82 Ft 589

-1.10%

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

$28.9K RON 136.6K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-3.11%

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

$24.9K RON 117.9K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-26.33%

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

$106 RON 502

$171 Ft 55.3K

-37.97%

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

$7.51 RON 35.53

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-68.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.83 RON 22.86

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-79.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.72 RON 122

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-61.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 RON 74.9

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-16.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 RON 30.45

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-30.75%

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

$591 RON 2,794

$533 Ft 172.3K

10.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,858 RON 23.0K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-71.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.9 RON 392

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.49 RON 149

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-27.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.6 RON 282

$110 Ft 35.7K

-46.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 RON 395

$119 Ft 38.4K

-29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 RON 1,891

$830 Ft 268.3K

-51.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 RON 1,113

$622 Ft 200.9K

-62.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 RON 2,584

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-65.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 RON 1,889

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-65.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,818 RON 8,604

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-68.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,199 RON 5,673

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-69.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$933 RON 4,415

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-43.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

6.45

8.06%

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

Last update for Bacau: 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

Bacau

$235 25.8%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 164% $387

Eating Out

Bacau

$192 21.1%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 15.9% $31

Groceries & Markets

Bacau

$176 19.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 46.4% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacau

$118 13%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 83.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Bacau

$116 12.7%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 44.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Bacau

$39 4.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 123% $48

Getting Around

Bacau

$36 4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 22.6% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $400 in Bacau 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 77% 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 $85.0 in Bacau versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Bacau vs $258 in Budapest – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bacau

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

22:59 10:59 PM

1 h behind Bacau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,307

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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Between locations

Bacau Budapest 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bacau
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

Bacau vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Bacau 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 Bacau, 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 $85.0 in Bacau 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 $913 in Bacau and $1,619 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 77%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacau, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Bacau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacau – 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 Bacau. 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.