Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Szeged

For one person, living is cheaper in Szeged: $1,227 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Szeged
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Szeged Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Szeged

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Szeged

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,227 in Szeged.

Bucharest $1,340
Szeged $1,227

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,912 in Szeged.

Bucharest $2,037
Szeged $1,912

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,596 in Szeged.

Bucharest $2,734
Szeged $2,596

Living in Bucharest is roughly 9% more expensive than in Szeged, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Szeged 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$8.98 Ft 2,902

61.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$57.4 Ft 18.5K

1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$9.34 Ft 3,018

-19.91%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.41 Ft 777

42.74%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.56 Ft 504

51.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.33 Ft 429

72.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.33 Ft 754

58.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.22 Ft 717

87.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.22 Ft 393

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.37 Ft 441

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.42 Ft 781

-28.93%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.56 Ft 1,150

2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$10.46 Ft 3,378

-13.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.41 Ft 2,070

6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$16.40 Ft 5,298

-26.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.28 Ft 737

-46.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.21 Ft 716

-26.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.05 Ft 662

-23.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$3.35 Ft 1,082

-24.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.98 Ft 317

-19.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.04 Ft 336

-25.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.66 Ft 537

-47.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.52 Ft 167

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$8.04 Ft 2,599

-21.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$5.45 Ft 1,760

13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.26 Ft 407

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.99 Ft 643

-21.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.63 Ft 527

-47.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$29.42 Ft 9,505

-28.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$3.02 Ft 975

-78.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.65 Ft 533

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$18.15 Ft 5,864

-64.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.90 Ft 615

3.16%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$29.5K Ft 9.5M

-1.67%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$37.9K Ft 12.2M

-29.67%

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

$196 RON 927

$127 Ft 40.9K

54.56%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$21.61 Ft 6,981

-62.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$20.17 Ft 6,515

-53.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$46.93 Ft 15.2K

7.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$29.12 Ft 9,409

-13.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$8.59 Ft 2,775

-5.12%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$248 Ft 80.2K

153.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$6,658 Ft 2.2M

111.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$114 Ft 36.9K

-21.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$32.26 Ft 10.4K

18.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$94.2 Ft 30.4K

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$114 Ft 36.7K

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$523 Ft 168.9K

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$380 Ft 122.9K

17.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$761 Ft 245.8K

42.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$603 Ft 194.7K

20.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$3,103 Ft 1.0M

20.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,320 Ft 749.4K

-5.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,234 Ft 398.7K

7.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.67

1.20%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Szeged: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Szeged

$380 31% 15.2% $68

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Szeged

$156 12.8% 30.5% $69

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Szeged

$251 20.5% 11.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Szeged

$169 13.7% 21% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Szeged

$159 13% 19% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Szeged

$64 5.2% 3.6% $2.4

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Szeged

$47 3.9% 67.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $523 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 8% 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 $57.0 in Szeged. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $251, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇭🇺 Szeged

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

21:25 9:25 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

157,930

💱 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 = 2.75 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Szeged 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Szeged

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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Szeged differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,227 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $523 in Szeged. 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 $1,227 in Szeged – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Szeged runs roughly 39% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,227 in Szeged versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szeged but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Szeged 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 Szeged 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 Szeged gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.