Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Mamaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mamaia: $1,038 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Mamaia
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Mamaia Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Mamaia

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Mamaia

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,038 in Mamaia, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Mamaia $1,038

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,573 in Mamaia, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Mamaia $1,573

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,108 in Mamaia, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Mamaia $2,108

Budapest costs about 56% more than Mamaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Mamaia is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$9.93 RON 46.98

40.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$45.60 RON 216

34.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.60 RON 35.96

34.08%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.65 RON 12.55

23.02%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.97 RON 9.34

8.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.80 RON 8.52

-1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.28 RON 10.77

62.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.83 RON 13.38

33.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.46 RON 6.92

-21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.24 RON 5.89

44.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.68 RON 7.96

48.21%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.36 RON 15.91

16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$8.27 RON 39.11

34.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.74 RON 31.88

-1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.56 RON 45.24

53.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.17 RON 5.54

56.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.58 RON 7.46

29.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.62 RON 7.65

46.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$2.23 RON 10.53

74.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.81 RON 3.81

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.89 RON 4.19

12.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.93 RON 4.40

69.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.78 RON 3.67

-14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$5.85 RON 27.68

36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.14 RON 29.04

1.30%

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 7.62

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.67 RON 3.19

126.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$19.50 RON 92.3

43.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.71 RON 3.36

366.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.76 RON 3.58

80.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$6.96 RON 32.95

184.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.55 RON 7.34

17.42%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$27.6K RON 130.7K

7.88%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$27.7K RON 131.0K

22.16%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$146 RON 693

16.81%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.93 RON 37.52

196.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$9.06 RON 42.86

157.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$41.75 RON 198

61.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$18.91 RON 89.5

-0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.96 RON 32.94

33.62%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$429 RON 2,027

24.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,889 RON 32.6K

143.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$69.6 RON 329

43.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$39.57 RON 187

9.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$75.0 RON 355

47.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$93.5 RON 442

27.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$390 RON 1,845

112.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$296 RON 1,400

110.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$583 RON 2,758

173.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$432 RON 2,042

171.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,901 RON 8,996

206.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,517 RON 7,175

156.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.5

-0.77%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mamaia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Mamaia

$296 28.5% 52.4% $326

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Mamaia

$205 19.8% 20.4% $53

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Mamaia

$166 16% 25.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Mamaia

$163 15.7% 25% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Mamaia

$125 12% 25.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Mamaia

$56 5.4% 35.3% $30

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Mamaia

$27 2.6% 39.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $390 in Mamaia. 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 $46.00 in Mamaia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $205 – making Mamaia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Mamaia

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

01:26 1:26 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

441

💱 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 Mamaia 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Mamaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 56%, 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 $1,557 in Mamaia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 44% less in Mamaia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $429 in Mamaia. 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 Mamaia, where all-in costs run around $1,038, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Mamaia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mamaia – 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 Mamaia. 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.