Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Iernut

For one person, living is cheaper in Iernut: $923 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Iernut
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Iernut Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Iernut

🇷🇴 Romania

$923

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Iernut

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $923 in Iernut, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Iernut $923

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,433 in Iernut, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Iernut $1,433

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,944 in Iernut, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Iernut $1,944

Budapest costs about 75% more than Iernut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Iernut is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.84 RON 41.81

57.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$42.37 RON 200

44.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.29 RON 34.48

39.78%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.26 RON 10.69

44.25%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.46 RON 6.90

46.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.24 RON 5.88

43.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.05 RON 9.72

80.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.26 RON 10.67

66.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.36 RON 6.42

-15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.11 RON 5.27

61.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.39 RON 6.59

79.14%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.83 RON 13.37

37.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.80 RON 36.92

42.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$5.72 RON 27.06

15.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$10.28 RON 48.66

42.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.00 RON 4.74

83.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.28 RON 6.08

60.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.40 RON 6.63

69.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.87 RON 8.83

108.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.72 RON 3.41

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.52 RON 2.45

92.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.86 RON 4.05

83.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.75 RON 3.56

-10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$5.91 RON 27.98

34.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$7.49 RON 35.45

-16.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.06 RON 5.02

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.61 RON 7.64

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.77 RON 3.66

97.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$21.47 RON 102

30.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.62 RON 2.93

433.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.68 RON 3.23

101.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$6.54 RON 30.92

203.21%

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

$28.3K RON 134.1K

5.13%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.4K RON 120.3K

32.98%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$102 RON 484

67.22%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.66 RON 36.25

206.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$8.26 RON 39.09

181.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$38.50 RON 182

75.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$19.97 RON 94.5

-5.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.22 RON 29.41

49.52%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$424 RON 2,005

25.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,901 RON 32.6K

142.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$51.8 RON 245

92.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$30.19 RON 143

44.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$76.2 RON 361

44.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$76.5 RON 362

55.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$382 RON 1,807

117.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$283 RON 1,339

119.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$589 RON 2,788

170.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$455 RON 2,154

157.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,850 RON 8,752

215.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,358 RON 6,425

186.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

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 Iernut: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Iernut

$283 30.7% 54.5% $339

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Iernut

$191 20.7% 25.8% $67

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Iernut

$145 15.7% 34.9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Iernut

$118 12.8% 45.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Iernut

$106 11.4% 37% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Iernut

$51 5.5% 40.9% $35

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Iernut

$29 3.1% 35.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $382 in Iernut. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $42.00 in Iernut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $191 – making Iernut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Iernut

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

00:02 12:02 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

9,000

💱 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 →

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Budapest Iernut 410 km

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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 Iernut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 75%, 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 $1,384 in Iernut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 31% less in Iernut. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $424 in Iernut. 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 Iernut, where all-in costs run around $923, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Iernut it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iernut – 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 Iernut. 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.