Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Cricova

For one person, living is cheaper in Cricova: $1,022 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Cricova
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Cricova Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Cricova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,022

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Cricova

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,022 in Cricova, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Cricova $1,022

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,858 in Cricova, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Cricova $1,858

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,693 in Cricova, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Cricova $2,693

Budapest costs about 58% more than Cricova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Cricova is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.25 MDL 146

68.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$27.53 MDL 489

122.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$10.30 MDL 183

-1.07%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.08 MDL 19.20

201.85%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.05 MDL 18.59

103.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.68 MDL 12.14

161.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.00 MDL 35.55

85.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.21 MDL 39.25

70.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$2.39 MDL 42.52

-51.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.46 MDL 8.18

289.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.09 MDL 19.38

128.44%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.25 MDL 22.22

212.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.90 MDL 123

60.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.59 MDL 81.5

44.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$12.35 MDL 219

18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.08 MDL 19.14

69.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$0.86 MDL 15.21

138.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.03 MDL 18.33

130.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.09 MDL 19.29

257.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.76 MDL 13.44

30.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.09 MDL 19.36

-8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.08 MDL 19.24

46.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$1.09 MDL 19.37

-38.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.31 MDL 58.8

140.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$4.45 MDL 79.1

39.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.58 MDL 45.88

-50.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$4.28 MDL 75.9

-52.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.53 MDL 9.48

186.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$22.39 MDL 398

25.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.10 MDL 19.57

200.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.26 MDL 4.63

426.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$6.53 MDL 116

203.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.30 MDL 23.12

40.00%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$29.2K MDL 517.9K

2.18%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$23.8K MDL 422.4K

42.15%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$235 MDL 4,176

-27.22%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.70 MDL 137

205.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$11.02 MDL 196

111.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$56.5 MDL 1,003

19.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$11.20 MDL 199

68.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$7.42 MDL 132

25.34%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$111 MDL 1,972

380.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,220 MDL 92.7K

221.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$56.2 MDL 998

77.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$27.60 MDL 490

57.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$82.5 MDL 1,464

33.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$114 MDL 2,021

4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$884 MDL 15.7K

-6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$222 MDL 3,943

180.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$1,373 MDL 24.4K

16.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$1,108 MDL 19.7K

5.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,775 MDL 49.3K

110.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,943 MDL 34.5K

100.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$562 MDL 9,989

193.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-7.86%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cricova: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Cricova

$222 21.7% 64.3% $400

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Cricova

$191 18.7% 26% $67

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Cricova

$131 12.8% 41.2% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Cricova

$254 24.8% 16.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Cricova

$126 12.3% 24.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Cricova

$71 7% 17.2% $15

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Cricova

$27 2.6% 39.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $884 in Cricova. 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 194% 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 $28.00 in Cricova. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $191 – making Cricova the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇩 Cricova

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

10,642

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Cricova 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Cricova

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 Cricova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,533 in Cricova. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 25% less in Cricova. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $111 in Cricova. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cricova, where all-in costs run around $1,022, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Cricova it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cricova – 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 Cricova. 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.