Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Drobeta-Turnu Severin

For one person, living is cheaper in Drobeta-Turnu Severin: $875 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Drobeta-Turnu Severin
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Drobeta-Turnu Severin Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

🇷🇴 Romania

$875

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Drobeta-Turnu Severin

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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $875 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $875

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,467 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $1,467

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,060 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $2,060

Budapest costs about 85% more than Drobeta-Turnu Severin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Drobeta-Turnu Severin is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.35 RON 39.52

66.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$42.52 RON 201

43.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.50 RON 35.48

35.87%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.16 RON 14.94

3.16%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.01 RON 9.51

6.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.81 RON 8.55

-1.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.13 RON 14.83

18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.86 RON 18.24

-2.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.38 RON 6.53

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.14 RON 5.41

57.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.33 RON 6.31

87.22%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.54 RON 16.73

10.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.72 RON 36.52

43.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.86 RON 27.73

12.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.04 RON 38.04

82.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.21 RON 5.73

51.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.48 RON 7.01

38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.50 RON 7.08

58.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.53 RON 11.97

54.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.71 RON 3.35

39.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.65 RON 3.05

53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$1.02 RON 4.84

54.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.86 RON 4.05

-22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$5.85 RON 27.68

36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.24 RON 34.27

-14.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.98 RON 4.65

29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.40 RON 6.61

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.72 RON 3.39

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$21.82 RON 103

28.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.98 RON 4.61

237.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.82 RON 3.89

67.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$8.49 RON 40.18

133.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.92 RON 9.09

-5.21%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.8K RON 136.1K

3.61%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.5K RON 120.5K

32.79%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$115 RON 544

48.77%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$9.38 RON 44.40

150.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$12.24 RON 57.9

90.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$37.47 RON 177

80.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$19.96 RON 94.4

-5.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.77 RON 32.01

37.37%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$441 RON 2,088

20.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,801 RON 32.2K

146.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$74.2 RON 351

34.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$31.71 RON 150

37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$85.8 RON 406

28.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$90.6 RON 429

31.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$384 RON 1,819

116.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$170 RON 805

265.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$602 RON 2,849

164.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$455 RON 2,154

157.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,854 RON 8,770

214.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,359 RON 6,430

186.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$923 RON 4,366

78.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.02

-8.12%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Drobeta-Turnu Severin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$170 19.4% 72.7% $452

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$195 22.3% 24.5% $63

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$166 19% 25.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$137 15.6% 37.3% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$127 14.5% 24.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$51 5.8% 40.8% $35

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$30 3.4% 32.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $384 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. 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 79% 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 $43.00 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $195 – making Drobeta-Turnu Severin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Drobeta-Turnu Severin

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

92,617

💱 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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Budapest Drobeta-Turnu Severin 420 km

From you

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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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 85%, 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 $1,313 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 28% less in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $441 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. 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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin, where all-in costs run around $875, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Drobeta-Turnu Severin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Drobeta-Turnu Severin – 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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin. 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.