Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Hodmezovasarhely

For one person, living is cheaper in Hodmezovasarhely: $1,258 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bucharest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Hodmezovasarhely
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Hodmezovasarhely Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Hodmezovasarhely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Hodmezovasarhely

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,258 in Hodmezovasarhely.

Bucharest $1,340
Hodmezovasarhely $1,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,955 in Hodmezovasarhely.

Bucharest $2,037
Hodmezovasarhely $1,955

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,652 in Hodmezovasarhely.

Bucharest $2,734
Hodmezovasarhely $2,652

Living in Bucharest is roughly 7% more expensive than in Hodmezovasarhely, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Hodmezovasarhely 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.7

$8.97 Ft 2,893

61.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$58.3 Ft 18.8K

-0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.46

$9.14 Ft 2,946

-18.16%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.31

$2.41 Ft 777

42.74%

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

$2.37 RON 11.24

$1.29 Ft 416

83.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.90

$1.28 Ft 411

79.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.53

$1.70 Ft 547

117.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.72

$2.33 Ft 752

78.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.17 Ft 376

42.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.51

$1.30 Ft 419

5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.15

$2.41 Ft 777

-28.63%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.24

$3.22 Ft 1,037

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 43.04

$10.52 Ft 3,390

-13.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.40

$6.52 Ft 2,102

4.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.9

$16.41 Ft 5,288

-26.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.81

$2.23 Ft 720

-44.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.74

$2.15 Ft 693

-24.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.46

$2.12 Ft 684

-25.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.03

$4.03 Ft 1,299

-36.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.05 Ft 339

-24.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.05 Ft 340

-26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.66 Ft 534

-47.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.71

$0.50 Ft 163

98.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.90

$7.78 Ft 2,509

-18.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.39

$4.72 Ft 1,521

31.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.22 Ft 394

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.46

$1.99 Ft 642

-21.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.19 Ft 384

-27.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 100.0

$26.76 Ft 8,626

-21.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$3.04 Ft 979

-78.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.45 Ft 467

-58.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.48

$17.99 Ft 5,800

-64.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.86 Ft 600

5.38%

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

$29.0K RON 137.4K

$30.0K Ft 9.7M

-3.21%

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

$26.6K RON 126.2K

$37.8K Ft 12.2M

-29.47%

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

$196 RON 928

$152 Ft 48.8K

29.29%

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

$8.04 RON 38.10

$21.59 Ft 6,960

-62.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.28

$20.66 Ft 6,658

-54.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$47.21 Ft 15.2K

6.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$18.36 Ft 5,920

37.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.61

$8.64 Ft 2,786

-5.67%

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

$628 RON 2,976

$249 Ft 80.4K

151.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.7K

$6,806 Ft 2.2M

106.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 425

$98.7 Ft 31.8K

-9.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 182

$50.6 Ft 16.3K

-24.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 376

$92.9 Ft 29.9K

-14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$113 Ft 36.3K

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,214

$520 Ft 167.6K

30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,124

$396 Ft 127.7K

13.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,133

$772 Ft 248.9K

40.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,435

$657 Ft 211.9K

10.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.8K

$3,110 Ft 1.0M

20.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,572 Ft 829.2K

-14.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,299

$908 Ft 292.6K

46.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-3.57%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hodmezovasarhely: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Hodmezovasarhely

$396 31.5% 11.6% $52

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Hodmezovasarhely

$152 12.1% 32.7% $74

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Hodmezovasarhely

$251 19.9% 11.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Hodmezovasarhely

$194 15.4% 9.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Hodmezovasarhely

$160 12.7% 19.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Hodmezovasarhely

$64 5.1% 3.1% $2

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Hodmezovasarhely

$42 3.3% 48.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $520 in Hodmezovasarhely. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 46% 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 $58.0 in Hodmezovasarhely for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $251 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇭🇺 Hodmezovasarhely

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

41,781

💱 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 = 2.77 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 = 4.74 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.31 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Hodmezovasarhely 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Hodmezovasarhely

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 Hodmezovasarhely: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Hodmezovasarhely differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,258 including rent). Hodmezovasarhely is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $520 in Hodmezovasarhely. 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 $1,258 in Hodmezovasarhely – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hodmezovasarhely runs roughly 27% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,258 in Hodmezovasarhely versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hodmezovasarhely but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Hodmezovasarhely 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 Hodmezovasarhely 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 Hodmezovasarhely gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.