Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Lugoj

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugoj: $772 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Lugoj
Learn more

Lugoj Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Lugoj

🇷🇴 Romania

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Lugoj

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $772 in Lugoj, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Lugoj $772

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,207 in Lugoj, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Lugoj $1,207

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,642 in Lugoj, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Lugoj $1,642

Budapest costs about 110% more than Lugoj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Lugoj is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$9.36 RON 44.29

48.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$32.83 RON 155

86.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$5.24 RON 24.79

94.47%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.75 RON 8.29

86.29%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.55 RON 7.32

38.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.44 RON 6.79

23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.14 RON 10.14

73.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.95 RON 9.24

93.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.62 RON 7.67

-29.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.90 RON 4.24

98.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$0.65 RON 3.06

283.08%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$1.26 RON 5.97

209.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$3.29 RON 15.57

237.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.94 RON 18.63

68.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$4.20 RON 19.88

249.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.07 RON 5.04

71.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.29 RON 6.09

58.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.66 RON 7.84

42.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$0.65 RON 3.09

500.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.62 RON 2.92

59.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.66 RON 3.12

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.98 RON 4.62

61.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.61 RON 2.91

9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$4.68 RON 22.15

70.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$4.16 RON 19.68

49.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.24 RON 5.86

2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.70 RON 8.06

19.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.66 RON 3.10

130.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$20.60 RON 97.5

36.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.81 RON 3.83

308.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.91 RON 4.29

50.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$8.57 RON 40.56

131.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.91 RON 9.04

-4.71%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.1K RON 133.0K

6.00%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.8K RON 117.5K

36.11%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$53.3 RON 252

221.23%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$8.65 RON 40.91

171.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$9.58 RON 45.31

143.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$20.93 RON 99.0

222.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$24.75 RON 117

-23.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$9.36 RON 44.27

-0.64%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$578 RON 2,734

-7.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$9,518 RON 45.0K

76.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$88.9 RON 421

12.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$46.93 RON 222

-7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$97.7 RON 462

12.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$107 RON 507

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$182 RON 860

356.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$211 RON 997

195.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$313 RON 1,483

408.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$316 RON 1,497

269.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,301 RON 6,155

348.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,055 RON 4,993

268.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$936 RON 4,429

76.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.8

-5.15%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lugoj: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Lugoj

$211 27.3% 66.1% $411

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Lugoj

$130 16.9% 49.5% $128

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Lugoj

$138 17.9% 38% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Lugoj

$72 9.3% 67.2% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Lugoj

$153 19.9% 8.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Lugoj

$40 5.1% 54% $46

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Lugoj

$29 3.7% 35.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $182 in Lugoj. 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 76% 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 $33.00 in Lugoj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $130 – making Lugoj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Lugoj

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

00:00 12:00 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

49,742

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Lugoj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 110%, 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 $1,158 in Lugoj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 36% less in Lugoj. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $578 in Lugoj. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lugoj, where all-in costs run around $772, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Lugoj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lugoj – 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 Lugoj. 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.