Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sibiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibiu: $1,100 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Sibiu
Learn more

Sibiu Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Sibiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sibiu

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $1,100 in Sibiu, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Sibiu $1,100

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,661 in Sibiu, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Sibiu $1,661

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $2,223 in Sibiu, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Sibiu $2,223

Budapest costs about 47% more than Sibiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Sibiu is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$8.16 RON 38.60

71.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$41.87 RON 198

44.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$7.41 RON 35.04

34.41%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$3.19 RON 15.08

5.96%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$2.13 RON 10.06

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.75 RON 8.26

6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$3.20 RON 15.13

17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$4.01 RON 18.95

-10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.36 RON 6.44

-16.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.09 RON 5.14

68.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.34 RON 6.34

78.36%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$3.39 RON 16.02

12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$7.66 RON 36.23

47.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$5.83 RON 27.57

15.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$7.70 RON 36.44

90.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$1.16 RON 5.50

58.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.50 RON 7.09

34.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.51 RON 7.13

56.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$2.53 RON 11.98

49.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.66 RON 3.11

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.65 RON 3.06

58.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$1.00 RON 4.71

56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.93 RON 4.40

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$5.88 RON 27.80

35.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$7.21 RON 34.12

-16.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$0.96 RON 4.55

35.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.35 RON 6.36

54.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.72 RON 3.41

108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$17.22 RON 81.4

60.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.96 RON 4.55

243.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.82 RON 3.87

58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$8.54 RON 40.38

131.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.95 RON 9.24

-7.18%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$28.1K RON 132.7K

4.50%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$25.7K RON 121.4K

32.93%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$115 RON 545

47.47%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$8.92 RON 42.19

168.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$12.41 RON 58.7

88.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$35.40 RON 167

87.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$14.09 RON 66.6

36.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$6.63 RON 31.36

43.59%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$449 RON 2,123

19.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$6,642 RON 31.4K

150.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$75.2 RON 356

34.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$32.06 RON 152

34.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$87.4 RON 414

28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$88.0 RON 416

34.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$442 RON 2,091

82.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$411 RON 1,942

53.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$831 RON 3,931

86.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$590 RON 2,790

97.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,519 RON 11.9K

123.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$2,044 RON 9,669

94.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$1,123 RON 5,312

44.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

7.02

-8.40%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Sibiu

$411 37.1% 34.7% $219

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Sibiu

$192 17.4% 25.3% $65

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Sibiu

$165 14.9% 26.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Sibiu

$137 12.4% 37.2% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Sibiu

$127 11.5% 24.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Sibiu

$49 4.4% 42.9% $37

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Sibiu

$25 2.3% 42.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $442 in Sibiu. 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 45% 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 $42.00 in Sibiu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $192 – making Sibiu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Sibiu

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

147,245

💱 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 →

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Budapest vs Sibiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 47%, 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 $1,649 in Sibiu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 60% less in Sibiu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $449 in Sibiu. 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 Sibiu, where all-in costs run around $1,100, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Sibiu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sibiu – 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 Sibiu. 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.