Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Baia Mare: $882 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Baia Mare
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Baia Mare Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Baia Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$882

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $882 in Baia Mare versus $1,619 in Budapest.

Baia Mare $882
Budapest $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Baia Mare versus $2,524 in Budapest.

Baia Mare $1,385
Budapest $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,888 in Baia Mare versus $3,429 in Budapest.

Baia Mare $1,888
Budapest $3,429

Living in Baia Mare costs roughly 46% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baia Mare is 35% below, Budapest is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 RON 58.2

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-11.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.87 RON 151

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-47.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 RON 38.85

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-19.43%

Cappuccino

$2.08 RON 9.82

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-36.20%

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

$1.74 RON 8.25

$2.14 Ft 690

-18.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 RON 6.30

$1.78 Ft 577

-25.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 RON 7.58

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-56.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 RON 10.11

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-43.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RON 6.84

$1.15 Ft 371

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 RON 6.84

$1.79 Ft 578

-18.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.02

$2.49 Ft 804

-40.56%

Eggs

$2.93 RON 13.88

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-24.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.13 RON 29.01

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-44.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 RON 30.66

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-2.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 RON 49.80

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-28.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 RON 5.36

$1.83 Ft 591

-38.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 RON 7.24

$2.05 Ft 661

-25.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 RON 6.26

$2.37 Ft 765

-44.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 RON 12.41

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-32.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.33

$0.99 Ft 320

-8.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 RON 5.08

$1.00 Ft 322

7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 RON 5.23

$1.58 Ft 511

-30.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.67 Ft 216

20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.35

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-19.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.62 RON 21.88

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-25.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 5.17

$1.27 Ft 411

-14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 RON 7.93

$2.03 Ft 654

-17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$1.52 Ft 490

-56.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.36 RON 67.9

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-48.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-77.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 RON 3.53

$1.37 Ft 442

-45.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 RON 28.11

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-70.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 8.12

$1.82 Ft 589

-5.49%

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

$28.2K RON 133.3K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-5.45%

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

$25.4K RON 120.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-24.96%

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

$103 RON 489

$171 Ft 55.3K

-39.56%

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

$14.96 RON 70.8

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-36.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 RON 55.6

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-49.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 RON 182

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-43.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 RON 76.4

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-14.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 RON 47.66

$9.30 Ft 3,004

8.28%

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

$527 RON 2,493

$533 Ft 172.3K

-1.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,253 RON 24.9K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-68.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.87 RON 174

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-62.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 RON 199

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.1 RON 294

$110 Ft 35.7K

-43.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 RON 355

$119 Ft 38.4K

-36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 RON 1,313

$830 Ft 268.3K

-66.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 RON 960

$622 Ft 200.9K

-67.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 RON 2,314

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-69.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 RON 1,743

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-68.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,044 RON 9,671

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-64.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,414 RON 6,691

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-63.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 RON 4,063

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-47.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.48

6.45

15.97%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: 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

Baia Mare

$203 23%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 207% $419

Groceries & Markets

Baia Mare

$199 22.6%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 29.4% $59

Eating Out

Baia Mare

$173 19.6%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 29.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baia Mare

$130 14.8%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 67.5% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Baia Mare

$97 11%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 72.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Baia Mare

$59 6.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 47.1% $28

Getting Around

Baia Mare

$21 2.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 106% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Baia Mare and $830 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 92% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Baia Mare vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $258 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Baia Mare

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

1 h behind Baia Mare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,738

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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Baia Mare Budapest 340 km

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Baia Mare
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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

Baia Mare vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Budapest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Baia Mare versus $830 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $527 in Baia Mare versus $533 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Budapest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $882 in Baia Mare versus $1,619 in Budapest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baia Mare but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Baia Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baia Mare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Budapest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Baia Mare and Budapest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.