Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Szentendre

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,455 in Szentendre, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Szentendre
Learn more

Szentendre Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Szentendre

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Szentendre

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,455 in Szentendre.

Bucharest $1,340
Szentendre $1,455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,091 in Szentendre.

Bucharest $2,037
Szentendre $2,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,726 in Szentendre.

Bucharest $2,734
Szentendre $2,726

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 8% less than in Szentendre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Szentendre is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.7

$12.75 Ft 4,109

13.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$55.7 Ft 18.0K

4.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.46

$9.05 Ft 2,916

-17.35%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.31

$2.67 Ft 860

28.84%

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

$2.37 RON 11.24

$1.90 Ft 612

24.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.90

$1.15 Ft 369

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.53

$3.32 Ft 1,071

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.72

$2.87 Ft 925

44.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.14 Ft 369

46.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.51

$1.44 Ft 463

-4.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.15

$2.33 Ft 752

-26.18%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.24

$3.36 Ft 1,083

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 43.04

$11.26 Ft 3,628

-19.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.40

$6.07 Ft 1,958

12.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.9

$13.74 Ft 4,428

-12.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.81

$1.91 Ft 615

-35.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.74

$2.11 Ft 680

-22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.46

$2.02 Ft 652

-22.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.03

$3.80 Ft 1,226

-33.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.01 Ft 324

-21.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.98 Ft 317

-21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.55 Ft 501

-43.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.71

$0.53 Ft 170

86.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.90

$7.84 Ft 2,526

-19.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.39

$5.97 Ft 1,924

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.27 Ft 409

-6.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.46

$1.63 Ft 525

-3.68%

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

$28.79 Ft 9,280

-26.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$3.03 Ft 976

-78.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.39 Ft 448

-56.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.48

$18.38 Ft 5,924

-65.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.91 Ft 617

2.62%

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

$29.0K RON 137.4K

$28.9K Ft 9.3M

0.32%

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

$26.6K RON 126.2K

$33.7K Ft 10.9M

-21.01%

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

$196 RON 928

$153 Ft 49.4K

27.79%

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

$8.04 RON 38.10

$30.94 Ft 9,973

-74.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.28

$23.11 Ft 7,448

-59.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$45.59 Ft 14.7K

10.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$19.51 Ft 6,288

29.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.61

$7.78 Ft 2,507

4.76%

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

$628 RON 2,976

$493 Ft 159.0K

27.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.7K

$16.3K Ft 5.3M

-13.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 425

$89.6 Ft 28.9K

0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 182

$27.81 Ft 8,965

37.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 376

$99.0 Ft 31.9K

-19.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$105 Ft 33.9K

-13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,214

$613 Ft 197.6K

10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,124

$560 Ft 180.6K

-19.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,133

$770 Ft 248.1K

40.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,435

$690 Ft 222.5K

5.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.8K

$3,102 Ft 999.9K

20.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$3,848 Ft 1.2M

-42.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,299

$1,545 Ft 498.0K

-13.95%

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 Szentendre: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Szentendre

$560 38.5% 25% $112

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Szentendre

$196 13.5% 13.1% $30

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Szentendre

$242 16.7% 7.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Szentendre

$207 14.3% 2.8% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Szentendre

$145 9.9% 8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Szentendre

$61 4.2% 8.1% $5.4

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Szentendre

$44 3% 54.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $613 in Szentendre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szentendre pays 16% 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 $56.0 in Szentendre. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $242, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇭🇺 Szentendre

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

19:40 7:40 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

28,444

💱 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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Between locations

Bucharest Szentendre 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Szentendre

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 Szentendre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Szentendre differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,455 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Szentendre. 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 $613 in Szentendre. 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 $1,455 in Szentendre – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 36% less than in Szentendre. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,455 in Szentendre, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Szentendre. 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 Szentendre 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 9% less than in Szentendre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.