Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Constanta

For one person, living is cheaper in Constanta: $1,264 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Constanta
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Constanta Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Constanta

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,264

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Constanta

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,264 in Constanta, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Constanta $1,264

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,906 in Constanta, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Constanta $1,906

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,547 in Constanta, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Constanta $2,547

Budapest costs about 28% more than Constanta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Constanta is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$12.73 RON 60.2

9.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$63.7 RON 301

-5.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$7.48 RON 35.36

33.16%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.16 RON 14.96

6.96%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.78 RON 8.40

19.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.27 RON 6.01

47.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.17 RON 10.28

72.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$3.24 RON 15.34

10.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.65 RON 7.83

-31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.22 RON 5.78

50.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.69 RON 8.01

41.42%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.89 RON 13.68

32.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$8.75 RON 41.38

29.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$5.50 RON 25.99

22.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$9.01 RON 42.62

63.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.29 RON 6.11

42.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.58 RON 7.48

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.57 RON 7.42

50.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.70 RON 12.75

39.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.92 RON 4.34

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.95 RON 4.48

8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.99 RON 4.70

57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.88 RON 4.16

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$6.41 RON 30.31

24.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$6.47 RON 30.59

-7.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.05 RON 4.97

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.70 RON 8.04

22.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.61 RON 2.89

145.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$16.98 RON 80.3

62.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.80 RON 3.78

312.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.80 RON 3.80

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$7.39 RON 34.97

167.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.94 RON 9.15

-6.70%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$28.3K RON 133.8K

3.68%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$24.4K RON 115.6K

39.59%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$167 RON 792

1.49%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$7.64 RON 36.14

213.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$7.66 RON 36.24

205.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$54.3 RON 257

21.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$13.60 RON 64.3

41.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$7.01 RON 33.17

35.81%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$564 RON 2,667

-4.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$7,583 RON 35.9K

118.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$65.7 RON 311

54.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$45.90 RON 217

-6.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$87.8 RON 415

28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$87.3 RON 413

36.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$590 RON 2,788

36.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$467 RON 2,209

34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,067 RON 5,049

45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$743 RON 3,514

57.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,522 RON 11.9K

122.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,034 RON 9,622

95.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$962 RON 4,548

69.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.99

-8.01%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Constanta: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Constanta

$467 36.9% 25.8% $162

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Constanta

$204 16.1% 20.7% $53

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Constanta

$192 15.1% 14.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Constanta

$183 14.4% 15.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Constanta

$129 10.2% 23.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Constanta

$68 5.4% 19.8% $17

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Constanta

$24 1.9% 44.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $590 in Constanta. 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 69% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $64.0 in Constanta. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Budapest vs $204 in Constanta – so Constanta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Constanta

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

09:13 9:13 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

283,872

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Constanta 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Constanta

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 Constanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,897 in Constanta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 63% less in Constanta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $564 in Constanta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Constanta, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Constanta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Constanta – 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 Constanta. 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.