Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Ploiesti

For one person, living is cheaper in Ploiesti: $1,072 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Ploiesti
Learn more

Ploiesti Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Ploiesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Ploiesti

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,072 in Ploiesti, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Ploiesti $1,072

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,631 in Ploiesti, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Ploiesti $1,631

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,191 in Ploiesti, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Ploiesti $2,191

Budapest costs about 51% more than Ploiesti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Ploiesti is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$11.59 RON 54.8

20.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$45.91 RON 217

31.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$7.99 RON 37.79

24.66%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.00 RON 14.17

12.67%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$2.16 RON 10.21

-1.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$2.10 RON 9.96

-10.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$2.55 RON 12.05

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$3.31 RON 15.65

7.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.64 RON 7.76

-31.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.13 RON 5.34

62.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.48 RON 7.00

61.49%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.18 RON 15.05

20.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$7.91 RON 37.40

43.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$6.80 RON 32.16

-0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$9.35 RON 44.25

57.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.36 RON 6.41

35.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.73 RON 8.17

16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.43 RON 6.78

65.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.00 RON 9.44

88.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.77 RON 3.63

24.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.76 RON 3.61

35.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.65 RON 3.07

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.77 RON 3.66

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$6.12 RON 28.96

30.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$6.57 RON 31.07

-8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$0.93 RON 4.39

39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.45 RON 6.84

43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.85 RON 4.04

76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$21.35 RON 101

29.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.64 RON 3.04

415.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.66 RON 3.10

96.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$6.37 RON 30.15

210.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.83 RON 8.64

-1.09%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$28.1K RON 132.9K

4.40%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$25.3K RON 119.7K

34.82%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$153 RON 723

11.19%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$6.32 RON 29.88

279.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$8.66 RON 40.95

170.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$43.93 RON 208

50.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$20.72 RON 98.0

-7.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$8.23 RON 38.91

15.67%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$393 RON 1,860

36.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$5,729 RON 27.1K

189.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$73.3 RON 347

38.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$42.28 RON 200

1.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$90.8 RON 429

24.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$95.9 RON 453

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$418 RON 1,975

92.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$287 RON 1,358

119.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$565 RON 2,675

173.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$459 RON 2,170

154.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,944 RON 9,194

189.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,236 RON 5,845

221.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$972 RON 4,596

67.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

7.85

-18.09%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Ploiesti

$287 26.8% 54.4% $342

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Ploiesti

$201 18.8% 21.8% $56

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Ploiesti

$189 17.7% 15.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Ploiesti

$168 15.7% 22.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Ploiesti

$136 12.7% 19.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Ploiesti

$60 5.6% 29.2% $25

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Ploiesti

$29 2.7% 34% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $418 in Ploiesti. 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 67% 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 $46.00 in Ploiesti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $201 – making Ploiesti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Ploiesti

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

224,406

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Ploiesti 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Budapest
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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 Ploiesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,608 in Ploiesti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 29% less in Ploiesti. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $393 in Ploiesti. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ploiesti, where all-in costs run around $1,072, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Ploiesti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ploiesti – 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 Ploiesti. 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.