Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Leova

For one person, living is cheaper in Leova: $1,355 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Leova
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Leova Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Leova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Leova

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,355 in Leova, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Leova $1,355

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $2,116 in Leova, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Leova $2,116

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,876 in Leova, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Leova $2,876

Budapest costs about 20% more than Leova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Budapest and Leova sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Leova by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$10.65 MDL 189

31.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$34.19 MDL 606

76.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$9.46 MDL 168

5.29%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$0.86 MDL 15.27

293.02%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.49 MDL 8.77

334.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.39 MDL 6.84

379.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.62 MDL 46.35

43.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$2.74 MDL 48.59

30.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.74 MDL 30.91

-35.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.55 MDL 27.44

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.34 MDL 23.76

78.36%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$1.33 MDL 23.59

187.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$13.92 MDL 247

-18.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$2.28 MDL 40.39

195.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$4.02 MDL 71.3

265.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.36 MDL 24.17

35.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$0.88 MDL 15.60

128.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$0.98 MDL 17.38

140.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.11 MDL 19.68

239.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.50 MDL 26.65

-36.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.59 MDL 10.50

74.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.44 MDL 7.74

254.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.99 MDL 17.57

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$4.74 MDL 84.0

67.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$15.20 MDL 269

-60.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.16 MDL 20.50

12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$2.70 MDL 47.88

-22.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.41 MDL 7.32

265.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$28.96 MDL 513

-4.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$2.79 MDL 49.37

18.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.55 MDL 9.68

136.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$3.38 MDL 59.9

485.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.37 MDL 24.34

32.12%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$33.7K MDL 596.7K

-12.90%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$35.4K MDL 626.7K

-3.55%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$189 MDL 3,358

-10.31%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$5.80 MDL 103

313.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$21.20 MDL 376

10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$83.8 MDL 1,485

-20.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$11.12 MDL 197

72.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$4.66 MDL 82.6

104.29%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$85.3 MDL 1,512

18.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$55.3 MDL 981

-22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$97.9 MDL 1,735

15.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$115 MDL 2,038

3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$654 MDL 11.6K

23.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$545 MDL 9,651

15.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,509 MDL 26.7K

2.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$1,102 MDL 19.5K

5.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,533 MDL 44.9K

121.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,920 MDL 34.0K

106.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$653 MDL 11.6K

148.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

7.19

-10.57%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Leova: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Leova

$545 39.3% 13.5% $85

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Leova

$191 13.8% 25.7% $66

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Leova

$146 10.5% 34.9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Leova

$216 15.6% 0.4% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Leova

$159 11.5% 5.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Leova

$93 6.7% 9.2% $7.8

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Leova

$36 2.6% 16.8% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $654 in Leova. 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 149% 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 $60.0 in Budapest versus $34.00 in Leova. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $191 – making Leova the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇩 Leova

🕒 Local time

14:58 2:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

10,900

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 MDL = 5.64 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17.72 MDL (100 MDL = 5.64 USD). 1 EUR = 19.86 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Leova 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Leova

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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $2,032 in Leova. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 5% less in Leova. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 35% 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 Leova, where all-in costs run around $1,355, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Leova it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Leova – 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 Leova. 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.