Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sfantu Gheorghe

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe: $813 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Sfantu Gheorghe
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Sfantu Gheorghe Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Sfantu Gheorghe

🇷🇴 Romania

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sfantu Gheorghe

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $813 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Sfantu Gheorghe $813

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,297 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Sfantu Gheorghe $1,297

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $1,781 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Sfantu Gheorghe $1,781

Budapest costs about 102% more than Sfantu Gheorghe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Sfantu Gheorghe is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$8.56 RON 40.51

64.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$41.50 RON 196

46.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$7.21 RON 34.10

43.83%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$2.54 RON 12.04

36.22%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.23 RON 5.81

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.07 RON 5.06

65.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$2.48 RON 11.74

48.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$2.16 RON 10.20

75.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.39 RON 6.55

-16.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.13 RON 5.36

63.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.40 RON 6.64

71.43%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$3.28 RON 15.52

21.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$7.81 RON 36.97

45.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$4.61 RON 21.83

49.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$7.72 RON 36.51

87.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$1.08 RON 5.11

74.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.51 RON 7.14

41.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.17 RON 5.52

96.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$2.52 RON 11.92

60.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.69 RON 3.27

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.60 RON 2.84

65.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.03 RON 4.86

53.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.81 RON 3.81

-13.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$4.90 RON 23.17

63.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$7.42 RON 35.10

-16.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$0.96 RON 4.56

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.07 RON 5.05

92.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$0.87 RON 4.10

82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$15.61 RON 73.9

76.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$1.00 RON 4.72

243.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.88 RON 4.17

51.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$8.38 RON 39.63

144.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.62 RON 7.68

19.14%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$28.9K RON 136.9K

0.72%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$24.9K RON 117.8K

39.51%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$113 RON 536

54.07%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$9.41 RON 44.53

151.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$12.23 RON 57.9

92.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$40.71 RON 193

69.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$20.72 RON 98.0

-7.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$3.13 RON 14.80

229.39%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$444 RON 2,102

20.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$6,646 RON 31.4K

153.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$25.88 RON 122

285.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$13.62 RON 64.4

217.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$39.45 RON 187

183.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$63.3 RON 299

88.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$294 RON 1,389

183.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$212 RON 1,003

196.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$524 RON 2,479

202.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$401 RON 1,897

198.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$1,843 RON 8,718

210.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,362 RON 6,445

189.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$691 RON 3,271

147.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.75

-4.44%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$212 26.1% 66.3% $417

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$184 22.6% 29.6% $78

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$147 18% 35.3% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$135 16.6% 39.2% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$64 7.9% 62% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$47 5.8% 47.5% $43

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$24 3% 44.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $294 in Sfantu Gheorghe. 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 148% 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 $41.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $184 – making Sfantu Gheorghe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Sfantu Gheorghe

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

56,006

💱 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 24, 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 24, 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 Sfantu Gheorghe 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Sfantu Gheorghe

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 Sfantu Gheorghe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,220 in Sfantu Gheorghe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 76% less in Sfantu Gheorghe. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $444 in Sfantu Gheorghe. 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 Sfantu Gheorghe, where all-in costs run around $813, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Sfantu Gheorghe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sfantu Gheorghe – 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 Sfantu Gheorghe. 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.