Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Budaors

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,479 in Budaors, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Budaors
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Budaors Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Budaors

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,479

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Budaors

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 Budaors actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,479 in Budaors.

Bucharest $1,340
Budaors $1,479

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,209 in Budaors.

Bucharest $2,037
Budaors $2,209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,940 in Budaors.

Bucharest $2,734
Budaors $2,940

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 9% less than in Budaors, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Budaors is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.9

$11.32 Ft 3,670

28.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 276

$60.0 Ft 19.5K

-3.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.60

$10.28 Ft 3,332

-27.24%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.38

$2.44 Ft 792

40.98%

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

$2.37 RON 11.28

$1.49 Ft 483

59.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.94

$1.81 Ft 586

27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.60

$2.51 Ft 814

47.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.80

$2.73 Ft 883

52.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.94

$1.19 Ft 387

40.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.53

$1.64 Ft 532

-16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.18

$2.46 Ft 796

-30.08%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.31

$3.51 Ft 1,139

3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 43.21

$11.05 Ft 3,582

-17.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.52

$6.52 Ft 2,112

4.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 57.1

$14.50 Ft 4,700

-17.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$2.08 Ft 675

-40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.77

$2.09 Ft 679

-22.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.49

$2.47 Ft 801

-36.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.08

$3.95 Ft 1,280

-35.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.77

$1.10 Ft 356

-28.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.68

$1.35 Ft 439

-42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.15

$1.57 Ft 508

-44.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.73

$0.59 Ft 190

67.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 30.02

$6.30 Ft 2,042

0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.51

$5.30 Ft 1,718

16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.66

$1.27 Ft 413

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.49

$2.05 Ft 664

-23.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.10

$1.41 Ft 457

-39.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 100

$14.67 Ft 4,756

43.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.06

$3.45 Ft 1,117

-81.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.87

$1.33 Ft 431

-54.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.60

$19.14 Ft 6,204

-66.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.31

$1.83 Ft 594

7.10%

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

$29.0K RON 138.0K

$31.1K Ft 10.1M

-6.83%

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

$26.6K RON 126.7K

$36.2K Ft 11.7M

-26.47%

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

$196 RON 932

$170 Ft 55.2K

15.03%

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

$8.04 RON 38.25

$23.28 Ft 7,546

-65.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.46

$21.16 Ft 6,858

-55.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 239

$76.2 Ft 24.7K

-34.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 121

$16.77 Ft 5,437

51.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.76

$9.59 Ft 3,109

-15.02%

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

$628 RON 2,988

$547 Ft 177.2K

14.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 67.0K

$7,699 Ft 2.5M

82.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 426

$99.3 Ft 32.2K

-9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 182

$45.46 Ft 14.7K

-15.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 377

$103 Ft 33.5K

-23.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 430

$112 Ft 36.4K

-19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,227

$562 Ft 182.2K

20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,133

$539 Ft 174.8K

-16.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,153

$818 Ft 265.1K

32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,449

$803 Ft 260.2K

-9.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.8K

$4,090 Ft 1.3M

-8.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$3,685 Ft 1.2M

-40.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,324

$1,726 Ft 559.5K

-22.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.45

4.65%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budaors: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Budaors

$539 36.5% 20.3% $91

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Budaors

$182 12.3% 19.2% $43

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Budaors

$254 17.2% 13.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Budaors

$215 14.5% 0.7% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Budaors

$162 11% 21.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Budaors

$95 6.5% 43.3% $29

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Budaors

$30 2.1% 7.8% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $562 in Budaors. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budaors pays 30% 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: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $60.0 in Budaors for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $254 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇭🇺 Budaors

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

16:21 4:21 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

29,398

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.09 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Bucharest Budaors 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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 Budaors: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Budaors differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,479 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Budaors. 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $562 in Budaors. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,479 in Budaors – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 44% less than in Budaors. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,479 in Budaors, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Budaors. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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, Bucharest and Budaors 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Budaors. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.