Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $913 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Bacau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Bacau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $913 in Bacau, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Bacau $913

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,548 in Bacau, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Bacau $1,548

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,182 in Bacau, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Bacau $2,182

Budapest costs about 77% more than Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Bacau is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$14.05 RON 66.5

-0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$85.1 RON 402

-28.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.39 RON 34.96

37.89%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.98 RON 9.37

64.65%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.94 RON 9.16

10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.90 RON 8.97

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.48 RON 11.75

49.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.16 RON 14.96

19.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.22 RON 5.76

-5.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.65 RON 3.09

175.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.64 RON 7.74

51.83%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.39 RON 16.03

15.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.79 RON 36.87

42.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.43 RON 25.67

21.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.42 RON 39.86

74.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.14 RON 5.41

60.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.49 RON 7.06

37.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.55 RON 7.32

52.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.74 RON 8.24

124.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.72 RON 3.43

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.65 RON 3.07

53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.76 RON 3.59

107.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.68 RON 3.23

-1.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$5.47 RON 25.87

45.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$5.08 RON 24.02

22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.94 RON 4.46

35.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.22 RON 5.78

66.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.74 RON 3.51

105.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$29.14 RON 138

-3.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.62 RON 2.92

433.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.67 RON 3.17

104.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$7.08 RON 33.51

180.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.80 RON 8.50

1.11%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.9K RON 136.6K

3.21%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.9K RON 117.9K

35.74%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$106 RON 502

61.21%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.51 RON 35.53

213.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$4.83 RON 22.86

382.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$25.72 RON 122

162.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$15.83 RON 74.9

19.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.44 RON 30.45

44.41%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$591 RON 2,794

-9.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$4,858 RON 23.0K

244.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$82.9 RON 392

20.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$31.49 RON 149

38.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$59.6 RON 282

85.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$83.6 RON 395

42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$400 RON 1,891

107.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$235 RON 1,113

164.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$546 RON 2,584

191.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$399 RON 1,889

193.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,818 RON 8,604

220.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,199 RON 5,673

224.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$933 RON 4,415

76.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.97

-7.46%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Bacau

$235 25.8% 62.2% $387

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Bacau

$176 19.3% 31.7% $82

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Bacau

$192 21.1% 13.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Bacau

$118 13% 45.6% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Bacau

$116 12.7% 30.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Bacau

$39 4.2% 55.2% $48

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Bacau

$36 4% 18.4% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $400 in Bacau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 77% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $85.0 in Bacau. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $176 in Bacau – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

01:38 1:38 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

144,307

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Bacau 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Bacau

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

Budapest vs Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,369 in Bacau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $85.0 in Bacau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,619 in Budapest and $913 in Bacau. That's a gap of about 77%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacau, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Bacau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bacau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.