Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Râșnov

For one person, living is cheaper in Râșnov: $922 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Râșnov
Learn more

Râșnov Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Râșnov

🇷🇴 Romania

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Râșnov

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $922 in Râșnov, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Râșnov $922

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,437 in Râșnov, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Râșnov $1,437

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $1,952 in Râșnov, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Râșnov $1,952

Budapest costs about 78% more than Râșnov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Râșnov is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$9.00 RON 42.58

56.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$42.46 RON 201

43.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$7.46 RON 35.31

39.01%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$2.20 RON 10.39

57.27%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.51 RON 7.12

37.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.24 RON 5.85

42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$1.95 RON 9.20

89.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$2.38 RON 11.24

59.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.40 RON 6.64

-17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.12 RON 5.32

65.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.44 RON 6.82

66.67%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.80 RON 13.23

42.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$7.91 RON 37.40

44.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$6.00 RON 28.38

14.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$10.20 RON 48.25

42.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$0.99 RON 4.68

89.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.33 RON 6.29

60.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.38 RON 6.53

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.84 RON 8.70

119.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.76 RON 3.60

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.54 RON 2.56

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.88 RON 4.14

79.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.71 RON 3.34

-1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$6.04 RON 28.57

32.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$7.57 RON 35.83

-18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.04 RON 4.90

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.60 RON 7.58

28.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.73 RON 3.43

117.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$21.76 RON 103

26.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$0.66 RON 3.15

419.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.68 RON 3.21

95.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$6.61 RON 31.27

209.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.88 RON 8.88

2.66%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$28.8K RON 136.1K

1.30%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$25.5K RON 120.6K

36.28%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$98.8 RON 468

76.66%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$7.63 RON 36.08

209.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$8.12 RON 38.40

190.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$37.94 RON 180

81.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$20.77 RON 98.3

-7.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$6.45 RON 30.51

59.84%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$426 RON 2,015

25.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,026 RON 33.2K

139.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$52.5 RON 248

90.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$35.29 RON 167

22.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$74.6 RON 353

49.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$77.0 RON 364

54.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$388 RON 1,837

114.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$281 RON 1,328

124.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$593 RON 2,808

167.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$455 RON 2,153

162.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$1,835 RON 8,680

211.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,359 RON 6,429

190.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Râșnov: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Râșnov

$281 30.4% 55.4% $349

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Râșnov

$193 21% 26.2% $69

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Râșnov

$146 15.9% 35.4% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Râșnov

$115 12.4% 48.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Râșnov

$108 11.7% 36% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Râșnov

$51 5.5% 43.2% $39

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Râșnov

$29 3.1% 34.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $388 in Râșnov. 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 Râșnov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $193 – making Râșnov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Râșnov

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

01:05 1:05 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

16,384

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Râșnov 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Râșnov

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 Râșnov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,383 in Râșnov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 26% less in Râșnov. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $426 in Râșnov. 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 Râșnov, where all-in costs run around $922, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Râșnov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Râșnov – 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 Râșnov. 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.