Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Satu Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $922 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Satu Mare

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $922 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Satu Mare $922

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,392 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Satu Mare $1,392

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,862 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Satu Mare $1,862

Budapest costs about 75% more than Satu Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Satu Mare is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$8.30 RON 39.26

67.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$32.02 RON 152

91.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$6.23 RON 29.50

63.56%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.48 RON 11.73

31.45%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$1.49 RON 7.07

43.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.30 RON 6.14

36.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.90 RON 8.98

95.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.46 RON 11.65

53.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.12 RON 5.29

2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.02 RON 4.83

75.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.15 RON 5.42

116.52%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.66 RON 12.58

46.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.03 RON 33.24

57.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$7.34 RON 34.71

-9.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$10.74 RON 50.8

36.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.08 RON 5.12

69.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.33 RON 6.29

54.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.23 RON 5.82

92.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.41 RON 6.66

176.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.16 RON 5.51

-14.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$1.34 RON 6.32

-25.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.94 RON 4.47

68.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.69 RON 3.26

-2.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$5.31 RON 25.11

49.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.17 RON 29.18

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.21 RON 5.73

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.76 RON 8.33

15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.54 RON 2.57

181.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$23.25 RON 110

20.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.84 RON 4.00

294.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.82 RON 3.90

67.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$7.93 RON 37.54

150.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.56 RON 7.36

16.67%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$22.3K RON 105.4K

33.70%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$24.6K RON 116.6K

37.22%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$123 RON 581

39.42%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.13 RON 33.74

229.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$7.26 RON 34.37

220.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$41.96 RON 199

60.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$10.54 RON 49.84

79.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$6.11 RON 28.92

52.21%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$154 RON 728

246.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$3,826 RON 18.1K

337.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$60.6 RON 287

64.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$27.58 RON 130

57.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$83.9 RON 397

31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$70.6 RON 334

68.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$327 RON 1,545

154.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$259 RON 1,226

140.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$654 RON 3,093

143.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$402 RON 1,904

190.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$984 RON 4,654

492.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,043 RON 4,937

272.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$650 RON 3,076

153.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.05

-8.51%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Satu Mare

$259 28.1% 58.3% $363

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Satu Mare

$192 20.8% 25.5% $66

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Satu Mare

$140 15.2% 37% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Satu Mare

$137 14.9% 37.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Satu Mare

$109 11.8% 34.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Satu Mare

$54 5.9% 37.1% $32

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Satu Mare

$30 3.3% 31.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $327 in Satu Mare. 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 154% 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 $32.00 in Satu Mare. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $192 – making Satu Mare the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

20:59 8:59 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

102,411

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 75%, 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 $1,384 in Satu Mare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 21% less in Satu Mare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $154 in Satu Mare. 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 Satu Mare, where all-in costs run around $922, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Satu Mare it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Satu Mare – 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 Satu Mare. 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.