Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Giurgiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Giurgiu: $1,112 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Giurgiu
Learn more

Giurgiu Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Giurgiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Giurgiu

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,112 in Giurgiu, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Giurgiu $1,112

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,678 in Giurgiu, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Giurgiu $1,678

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,245 in Giurgiu, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Giurgiu $2,245

Budapest costs about 46% more than Giurgiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Giurgiu is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$10.83 RON 51.3

28.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$52.0 RON 246

17.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.21 RON 34.10

41.33%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$3.57 RON 16.89

-8.68%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.44 RON 11.56

-12.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$2.14 RON 10.15

-16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$3.19 RON 15.10

16.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$3.32 RON 15.70

13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.52 RON 7.18

-24.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.35 RON 6.40

32.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.68 RON 7.96

48.21%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.58 RON 16.96

8.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.67 RON 41.01

28.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.89 RON 32.62

-3.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$12.35 RON 58.4

18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.52 RON 7.21

20.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.51 RON 7.14

35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.63 RON 7.70

45.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.62 RON 12.41

48.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.77 RON 3.64

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.85 RON 4.04

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.90 RON 4.28

75.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.80 RON 3.77

-16.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$6.11 RON 28.93

30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.44 RON 35.21

-16.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.19 RON 5.63

6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.87 RON 8.84

8.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.75 RON 3.53

102.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$21.57 RON 102

29.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.63 RON 2.98

425.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.66 RON 3.13

107.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$6.41 RON 30.32

209.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.84 RON 8.69

-1.09%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.6K RON 135.4K

4.13%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$26.2K RON 124.1K

28.95%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$175 RON 830

-2.43%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.72 RON 36.55

204.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$9.19 RON 43.48

153.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$32.75 RON 155

106.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$23.12 RON 109

-18.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$9.51 RON 45.00

-2.21%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$441 RON 2,086

20.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,982 RON 33.0K

140.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$52.4 RON 248

90.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$35.40 RON 167

22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$75.1 RON 355

46.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$88.9 RON 421

33.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$329 RON 1,557

152.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$309 RON 1,460

101.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$528 RON 2,500

201.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$436 RON 2,064

168.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$2,004 RON 9,484

190.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,180 RON 5,585

229.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$894 RON 4,230

84.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.2

-10.42%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Giurgiu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Giurgiu

$309 27.8% 50.4% $313

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Giurgiu

$225 20.3% 12.6% $33

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Giurgiu

$192 17.3% 13.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Giurgiu

$192 17.3% 11.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Giurgiu

$113 10.2% 32.4% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Giurgiu

$52 4.7% 39.9% $34

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Giurgiu

$28 2.6% 35.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $329 in Giurgiu. 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 85% 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 $52.0 in Giurgiu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $225 – making Giurgiu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Giurgiu

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

02:13 2:13 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

61,353

💱 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 Giurgiu 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Giurgiu

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 Giurgiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 46%, 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 $1,668 in Giurgiu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 30% less in Giurgiu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $441 in Giurgiu. 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 Giurgiu, where all-in costs run around $1,112, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Giurgiu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Giurgiu – 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 Giurgiu. 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.