Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Pecs

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Pecs: $1,351 and $1,338 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pecs
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Pecs Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Pecs

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Pecs

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,338 in Pecs.

Bucharest $1,351
Pecs $1,338

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $2,058 in Pecs.

Bucharest $2,033
Pecs $2,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $2,777 in Pecs.

Bucharest $2,715
Pecs $2,777

Living in Bucharest is roughly 1% more expensive than in Pecs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 1% above, Pecs 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.9

$11.29 Ft 3,676

28.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 275

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-4.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.72

$9.21 Ft 3,000

-18.57%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.32

$2.45 Ft 798

40.00%

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

$2.46 RON 11.72

$1.34 Ft 436

83.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.09

$1.24 Ft 404

87.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 18.10

$1.71 Ft 556

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.56

$2.23 Ft 725

83.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.85

$1.23 Ft 400

34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.44

$1.57 Ft 510

-14.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.48

$2.46 Ft 802

-27.64%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.46

$3.28 Ft 1,069

11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.84

$10.14 Ft 3,302

-15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.41

$6.63 Ft 2,158

2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.8

$15.95 Ft 5,193

-26.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.16

$2.38 Ft 774

-45.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.43

$2.28 Ft 744

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.34

$2.53 Ft 825

-39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.84

$3.94 Ft 1,282

-37.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$1.12 Ft 365

-25.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.80

$1.35 Ft 439

-40.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$1.87 Ft 608

-55.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.42

$0.58 Ft 190

60.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.68

$8.76 Ft 2,854

-26.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 30.13

$4.63 Ft 1,508

36.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.99

$1.37 Ft 445

-8.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.65

$2.61 Ft 851

-38.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.88

$1.51 Ft 491

-46.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 101

$23.59 Ft 7,681

-10.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.88

$3.30 Ft 1,076

-81.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.93

$1.46 Ft 475

-58.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.41

$24.60 Ft 8,012

-74.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.34

$1.79 Ft 583

9.50%

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

$28.1K RON 134.2K

$30.0K Ft 9.8M

-6.02%

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

$26.3K RON 125.3K

$36.9K Ft 12.0M

-28.82%

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

$197 RON 938

$168 Ft 54.9K

16.86%

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

$8.34 RON 39.74

$20.30 Ft 6,612

-58.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.80

$21.23 Ft 6,914

-56.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 238

$46.06 Ft 15.0K

8.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 119

$18.68 Ft 6,082

33.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.31

$8.81 Ft 2,870

-3.97%

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

$639 RON 3,046

$420 Ft 136.6K

52.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.6K

$7,762 Ft 2.5M

85.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 432

$101 Ft 32.8K

-10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 181

$51.6 Ft 16.8K

-26.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 380

$98.0 Ft 31.9K

-18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 444

$109 Ft 35.4K

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,209

$619 Ft 201.7K

8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,139

$444 Ft 144.5K

1.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,234

$987 Ft 321.4K

11.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,474

$676 Ft 220.1K

7.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.8K

$3,296 Ft 1.1M

13.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$2,804 Ft 913.3K

-21.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,306

$1,056 Ft 343.8K

25.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

-15.75%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Pecs: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Pecs

$444 32.9% 1.1% $5.1

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Pecs

$171 12.6% 24.4% $55

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Pecs

$260 19.2% 17.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Pecs

$210 15.6% 2% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Pecs

$162 12% 19.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Pecs

$64 4.7% 4.7% $3.1

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Pecs

$40 3% 43.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $619 in Pecs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 25% 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 Pecs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $260 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇭🇺 Pecs

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

03:52 3:52 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

140,330

💱 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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Bucharest Pecs 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Pecs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Pecs differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $1,338 including rent). Pecs is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $619 in Pecs. 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 $1,338 in Pecs – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pecs runs roughly 12% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,338 in Pecs versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pecs but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Pecs 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 Pecs 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 Pecs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.