Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Braila and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Braila: $1,141 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Braila
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Braila Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Braila

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,141

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Braila versus $1,619 in Budapest.

Braila $1,141
Budapest $1,619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,727 in Braila versus $2,524 in Budapest.

Braila $1,727
Budapest $2,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,312 in Braila versus $3,429 in Budapest.

Braila $2,312
Budapest $3,429

Living in Braila costs roughly 29% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Braila is 15% below, Budapest is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.87 RON 89.3

$13.94 Ft 4,503

35.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.78 RON 188

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-35.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 RON 43.21

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-10.40%

Cappuccino

$2.60 RON 12.29

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-20.25%

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

$1.99 RON 9.41

$2.14 Ft 690

-7.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 8.25

$1.78 Ft 577

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 RON 7.76

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.72

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.51

$1.15 Ft 371

56.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.65

$1.79 Ft 578

-21.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.82

$2.49 Ft 804

-42.17%

Eggs

$3.33 RON 15.76

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 RON 39.22

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-25.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.41 RON 35.08

$6.62 Ft 2,139

11.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 RON 43.48

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-37.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.82

$1.83 Ft 591

-44.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.63

$2.05 Ft 661

-31.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 RON 6.46

$2.37 Ft 765

-42.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-69.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$0.99 Ft 320

-16.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.69

$1.00 Ft 322

-22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 RON 3.22

$1.58 Ft 511

-56.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.67 Ft 216

23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 RON 29.49

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-21.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.94 RON 28.13

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.84

$1.27 Ft 411

-19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.45

$2.03 Ft 654

-22.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 RON 2.89

$1.52 Ft 490

-59.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.81 RON 74.8

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-43.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 RON 4.90

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-68.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 RON 3.49

$1.37 Ft 442

-45.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 RON 31.95

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-65.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.82 Ft 589

-12.09%

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

$26.4K RON 125.0K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-11.31%

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

$29.4K RON 139.0K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-13.14%

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

$140 RON 660

$171 Ft 55.3K

-18.42%

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

$8.40 RON 39.74

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-64.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.05 RON 61.7

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-43.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.07 RON 152

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-52.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.71 RON 69.6

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-22.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 RON 35.04

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-20.32%

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

$358 RON 1,696

$533 Ft 172.3K

-32.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,366 RON 39.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-50.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 RON 475

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 RON 280

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 RON 429

$110 Ft 35.7K

-17.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 RON 589

$119 Ft 38.4K

4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 RON 1,785

$830 Ft 268.3K

-54.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 RON 1,432

$622 Ft 200.9K

-51.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 RON 2,606

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-65.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,118

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-61.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 RON 9,068

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-67.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,300 RON 6,153

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-66.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$847 RON 4,005

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-48.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.3

6.45

28.68%

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

Last update for Braila: 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

Braila

$303 26.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 106% $319

Eating Out

Braila

$237 20.8%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 5.8% $14

Groceries & Markets

Braila

$202 17.7%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 27.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Braila

$169 14.8%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 0.6% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Braila

$161 14.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 35.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Braila

$47 4.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 83.7% $39

Getting Around

Braila

$23 2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 92.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $377 in Braila and $830 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 95% 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: $40.00 in Braila vs $61.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $258 per month, with Braila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Braila

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h behind Braila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,302

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 18, 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 18, 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

Braila Budapest 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Braila
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

Braila vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Braila wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Budapest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Braila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 95% 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: $377 in Braila versus $830 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braila runs roughly 77% less than in Budapest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $358 in Braila versus $533 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,141 in Braila versus $1,619 in Budapest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Braila but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Braila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Braila delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,141 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Braila hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Braila 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 Braila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.