Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasov and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasov: $1,314 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Brasov
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Brasov Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Brasov

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,314

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,314 in Brasov versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Brasov $1,314
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,128 in Brasov versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Brasov $2,128
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,943 in Brasov versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Brasov $2,943
Budapest $3,489

Living in Brasov costs roughly 19% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasov is 2% below, Budapest is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.01 RON 52.1

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-21.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 RON 245

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-14.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.61

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-24.40%

Cappuccino

$3.70 RON 17.48

$3.38 Ft 1,100

9.47%

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

$2.36 RON 11.15

$2.13 Ft 692

10.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 10.10

$1.87 Ft 608

13.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 RON 15.07

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 RON 15.64

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-7.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 7.43

$1.13 Ft 368

38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.78

$1.84 Ft 599

-22.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.39

$2.39 Ft 777

-25.94%

Eggs

$3.51 RON 16.58

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-8.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 RON 41.51

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-22.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 RON 32.48

$6.74 Ft 2,192

1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 RON 60.5

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.91

$1.84 Ft 597

-20.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 RON 7.14

$2.01 Ft 653

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.85

$2.36 Ft 767

-29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 RON 13.01

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-27.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.62

$0.96 Ft 313

-19.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.35

$1.03 Ft 334

-10.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 RON 4.19

$1.56 Ft 509

-42.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 RON 3.58

$0.66 Ft 216

15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.03 RON 28.52

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-24.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 RON 35.42

$6.01 Ft 1,954

24.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.89

$1.30 Ft 421

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.53

$2.08 Ft 676

-13.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 RON 5.11

$1.50 Ft 489

-28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.54 RON 111

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-14.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.13

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.95

$1.30 Ft 424

-52.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.47 RON 30.60

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-67.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RON 8.73

$1.81 Ft 591

2.21%

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

$28.8K RON 136.4K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-1.70%

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

$26.2K RON 123.7K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-23.31%

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

$179 RON 846

$170 Ft 55.3K

5.23%

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

$7.87 RON 37.24

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-67.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.98 RON 42.50

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-61.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 RON 272

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-13.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 RON 63.5

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-29.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 RON 45.25

$9.52 Ft 3,098

0.53%

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

$446 RON 2,111

$537 Ft 174.6K

-16.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,960 RON 32.9K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-58.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 RON 242

$101 Ft 33.0K

-49.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 RON 166

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-18.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 RON 355

$113 Ft 36.7K

-33.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 RON 430

$119 Ft 38.6K

-23.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 RON 3,284

$805 Ft 262.0K

-13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 RON 2,216

$629 Ft 204.7K

-25.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 RON 6,135

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-16.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 RON 5,042

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-8.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,104 RON 14.7K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-44.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,401 RON 11.4K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-39.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,097 RON 5,187

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-32.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.43

11.98%

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

Last update for Brasov: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasov

$468 35.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 34.3% $161

Groceries & Markets

Brasov

$229 17.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 12.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasov

$196 14.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 11.1% $22

Eating Out

Brasov

$196 14.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 14.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Brasov

$113 8.7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 49.1% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Brasov

$77 5.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 11.2% $8.6

Getting Around

Brasov

$32 2.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 37.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $694 in Brasov and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 48% 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: $52.0 in Brasov vs $60.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $258 per month, with Brasov cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Brasov

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

1 h behind Brasov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

253,200

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasov Budapest 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasov
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

Brasov vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasov and Budapest differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,314 vs $1,621 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% 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: $694 in Brasov versus $805 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $60.0 in Budapest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,314 per month in Brasov versus $1,621 in Budapest – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,314 in Brasov versus $1,621 in Budapest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Budapest. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brasov 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 Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.