Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Dubasari

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubasari: $646 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Dubasari
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Dubasari Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Dubasari

🇲🇩 Moldova

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Dubasari

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $646 in Dubasari, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Dubasari $646

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $959 in Dubasari, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Dubasari $959

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,272 in Dubasari, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Dubasari $1,272

Budapest costs about 150% more than Dubasari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Dubasari is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.36 MDL 148

66.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$29.57 MDL 525

107.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$10.56 MDL 187

-3.50%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.68 MDL 29.84

94.05%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.09 MDL 19.40

96.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.64 MDL 11.37

178.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.93 MDL 34.35

92.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.22 MDL 39.45

69.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.21 MDL 21.55

-4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.46 MDL 8.23

289.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.60 MDL 28.40

55.63%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.16 MDL 38.38

80.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.74 MDL 120

64.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.71 MDL 83.6

40.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$6.22 MDL 110

136.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.03 MDL 18.22

77.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$2.20 MDL 39.09

-6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.87 MDL 33.17

26.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.30 MDL 40.92

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.77 MDL 13.71

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.48 MDL 8.53

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.46 MDL 8.22

243.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.58 MDL 10.29

15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.45 MDL 61.3

130.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$4.40 MDL 78.2

41.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.38 MDL 24.47

-7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.93 MDL 34.30

5.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$2.85 MDL 50.6

16.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.24 MDL 4.24

470.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$5.44 MDL 96.5

264.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.62 MDL 28.79

12.35%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$33.1K MDL 587.9K

-9.98%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.6K MDL 436.8K

37.47%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$225 MDL 4,001

-24.03%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.97 MDL 142

194.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$11.03 MDL 196

111.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$11.29 MDL 201

498.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$7.71 MDL 137

20.62%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$110 MDL 1,952

385.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,271 MDL 93.6K

217.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$45.35 MDL 805

119.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$56.4 MDL 1,001

95.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$50.4 MDL 895

136.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-19.37%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dubasari: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Dubasari

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Dubasari

$163 25.3% 36.7% $95

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Dubasari

$140 21.6% 37.3% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Dubasari

$244 37.8% 12.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Dubasari

$68 * 10.6% 59.2% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Dubasari

$27 4.1% 69% $59

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Dubasari

$4 * 0.6% 90.9% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $30.00 in Dubasari. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $163 – making Dubasari the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇩 Dubasari

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

08:48 8:48 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

23,254

💱 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 Dubasari 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Dubasari

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 Dubasari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $970 in Dubasari. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $30.00 in Dubasari. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dubasari, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Dubasari it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dubasari – 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 Dubasari. 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.