Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Békéscsaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Békéscsaba: $1,117 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Békéscsaba
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Békéscsaba Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Békéscsaba

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Békéscsaba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucharest and in Békéscsaba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,351 per month in Bucharest vs $1,117 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Bucharest $1,351
Békéscsaba $1,117

A couple spends around $2,033 per month in Bucharest vs $1,626 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Bucharest $2,033
Békéscsaba $1,626

A family of three spends $2,715 per month in Bucharest vs $2,136 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Bucharest $2,715
Békéscsaba $2,136

Bucharest costs about 21% more than Békéscsaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bucharest sits 1% above the global median, while Békéscsaba is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$8.90 Ft 2,895

62.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$44.10 Ft 14.3K

30.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$5.52 Ft 1,795

35.87%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$2.08 Ft 677

64.90%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$1.34 Ft 436

83.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.91 Ft 296

156.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$1.06 Ft 344

258.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$1.21 Ft 393

238.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.15 Ft 373

43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$1.49 Ft 486

-9.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$2.16 Ft 704

-17.59%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$3.27 Ft 1,065

11.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$10.02 Ft 3,260

-14.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$6.80 Ft 2,212

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$14.57 Ft 4,739

-19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$1.91 Ft 623

-32.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$2.05 Ft 666

-23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$1.50 Ft 489

2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$2.71 Ft 883

-8.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.93 Ft 302

-10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.02 Ft 333

-21.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.10 Ft 357

-23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.48 Ft 157

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$8.12 Ft 2,641

-20.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$3.14 Ft 1,021

101.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.05 Ft 342

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$2.11 Ft 685

-24.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$1.24 Ft 402

-34.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$2.81 Ft 914

-78.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$1.37 Ft 447

-55.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$6.15 Ft 2,000

0.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.82 Ft 592

7.69%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-3.89%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$33.6K Ft 10.9M

-21.81%

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

$197 RON 931

$175 Ft 56.9K

12.49%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$23.75 Ft 7,728

-64.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$20.97 Ft 6,823

-56.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$33.80 Ft 11.0K

47.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$9.23 Ft 3,004

-8.34%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$549 Ft 178.5K

16.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

-14.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$99.5 Ft 32.4K

-8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$30.60 Ft 9,955

24.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$61.4 Ft 20.0K

29.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$120 Ft 39.0K

-22.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$408 Ft 132.9K

64.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$336 Ft 109.2K

33.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$555 Ft 180.7K

97.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$420 Ft 136.7K

73.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$1,542 Ft 501.8K

142.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$1,169 Ft 380.2K

87.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$1,359 Ft 442.2K

-2.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

6.43

4.82%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Békéscsaba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Békéscsaba

$336 30% 25.2% $113

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Békéscsaba

$129 11.6% 42.7% $96

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Békéscsaba

$228 20.4% 2.9% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Békéscsaba

$220 19.6% 2.5% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Békéscsaba

$140 12.5% 3.3% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Békéscsaba

$52 4.7% 21.8% $15

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Békéscsaba

$15 * 1.3% 47.9% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $673 in Bucharest versus $408 in Békéscsaba. 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 3% higher in Békéscsaba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Bucharest versus $44.00 in Békéscsaba. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Bucharest vs $228 in Békéscsaba – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇭🇺 Békéscsaba

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

20:57 8:57 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

54,460

💱 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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Bucharest Békéscsaba 460 km

From you

Bucharest
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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

Bucharest vs Békéscsaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest costs about 21% more than Békéscsaba, 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 $2,027 per month in Bucharest and $1,676 in Békéscsaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Békéscsaba, 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 $58.0 in Bucharest and $44.00 in Békéscsaba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Bucharest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Békéscsaba, where all-in costs run around $1,117, than in Bucharest at $1,351. In Békéscsaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bucharest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Békéscsaba costs $1,117 versus $1,351 in Bucharest. 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 Békéscsaba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bucharest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.