Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Bucharest $1,351
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Bucharest $2,033
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Bucharest $2,715
Budapest $3,489

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 17% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 1% above, Budapest 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.9

$13.99 Ft 4,555

3.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 275

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-4.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.72

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-24.70%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.32

$3.38 Ft 1,102

1.48%

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

$2.46 RON 11.72

$2.13 Ft 693

15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.09

$1.87 Ft 609

24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 18.10

$3.75 Ft 1,222

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.56

$3.57 Ft 1,163

14.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.85

$1.13 Ft 369

46.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.44

$1.84 Ft 600

-26.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.48

$2.39 Ft 777

-25.52%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.46

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.84

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.41

$6.74 Ft 2,194

0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.8

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-20.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.16

$1.84 Ft 598

-29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.43

$2.01 Ft 654

-22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.34

$2.36 Ft 767

-34.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.84

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-34.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$0.96 Ft 314

-13.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.80

$1.03 Ft 335

-22.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$1.56 Ft 509

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.42

$0.66 Ft 216

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.68

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-19.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 30.13

$6.01 Ft 1,956

5.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.99

$1.30 Ft 422

-3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.65

$2.08 Ft 677

-23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.88

$1.50 Ft 490

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 101

$27.61 Ft 8,991

-23.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.88

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-81.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.93

$1.30 Ft 424

-53.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.41

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-68.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.34

$1.81 Ft 591

8.29%

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

$28.1K RON 134.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-4.02%

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

$26.3K RON 125.3K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-22.92%

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

$197 RON 938

$170 Ft 55.3K

15.84%

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

$8.34 RON 39.74

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-65.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.80

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-60.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 238

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-24.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 119

$19.18 Ft 6,245

30.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.31

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-11.13%

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

$639 RON 3,046

$537 Ft 174.8K

19.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.6K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-13.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 432

$101 Ft 33.0K

-10.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 181

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-11.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 380

$113 Ft 36.7K

-29.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 444

$119 Ft 38.7K

-21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,209

$805 Ft 262.2K

-16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,139

$629 Ft 204.9K

-28.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,234

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,474

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-37.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.8K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-33.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-44.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,306

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-18.61%

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 Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 40.2% $180

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 0.6% $1.4

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 16.2% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 1.4% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 24.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 27.7% $18

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 54.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 23% 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 Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $258 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 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 = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Bucharest Budapest 640 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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Budapest differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $1,621 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $805 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $1,621 in Budapest – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 31% less than in Budapest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,621 in Budapest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Budapest. 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 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.