Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sighetu Marmatiei

For one person, living is cheaper in Sighetu Marmatiei: $958 a month against $1,638 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Sighetu Marmatiei
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Sighetu Marmatiei Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,638

/mo nomad

Sighetu Marmatiei

🇷🇴 Romania

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Sighetu Marmatiei

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Budapest vs $958 in Sighetu Marmatiei, rent included.

Budapest $1,638
Sighetu Marmatiei $958

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Budapest vs $1,401 in Sighetu Marmatiei, rent included.

Budapest $2,553
Sighetu Marmatiei $1,401

A family of three spends $3,467 per month in Budapest vs $1,843 in Sighetu Marmatiei, rent included.

Budapest $3,467
Sighetu Marmatiei $1,843

Budapest costs about 71% more than Sighetu Marmatiei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Sighetu Marmatiei is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 Ft 4,552

$8.62 RON 41.42

60.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 Ft 20.3K

$20.80 RON 100.0

195.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 Ft 3,349

$7.31 RON 35.14

38.99%

Cappuccino

$3.22 Ft 1,062

$2.68 RON 12.89

20.15%

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

$2.06 Ft 680

$1.84 RON 8.86

11.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 Ft 605

$1.77 RON 8.51

3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 Ft 1,188

$2.06 RON 9.89

74.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Ft 1,208

$3.15 RON 15.12

16.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 Ft 392

$1.44 RON 6.92

-17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Ft 617

$1.01 RON 4.87

85.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 780

$1.20 RON 5.77

97.50%

Eggs

$3.96 Ft 1,305

$2.83 RON 13.61

39.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 Ft 3,680

$8.02 RON 38.54

39.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 Ft 2,228

$6.34 RON 30.45

6.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 Ft 4,731

$9.18 RON 44.10

56.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 596

$1.12 RON 5.38

61.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 695

$1.49 RON 7.16

41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 770

$1.49 RON 7.17

56.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,254

$1.36 RON 6.56

179.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 327

$0.86 RON 4.16

15.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 324

$0.95 RON 4.57

3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 512

$0.69 RON 3.32

124.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 230

$0.84 RON 4.01

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,569

$5.46 RON 26.23

42.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 Ft 1,995

$5.77 RON 27.73

4.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 421

$1.03 RON 4.95

24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 Ft 672

$1.76 RON 8.44

15.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 Ft 511

$0.76 RON 3.64

103.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.28 Ft 8,995

$21.76 RON 105

25.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,087

$0.72 RON 3.45

358.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 Ft 433

$0.77 RON 3.69

70.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.26 Ft 6,679

$7.41 RON 35.63

173.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 600

$1.73 RON 8.31

5.20%

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

$28.7K Ft 9.5M

$29.0K RON 139.3K

-0.89%

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

$33.1K Ft 10.9M

$25.5K RON 122.5K

29.80%

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

$172 Ft 56.8K

$138 RON 663

24.89%

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

$23.95 Ft 7,897

$6.50 RON 31.22

268.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 Ft 7,685

$7.73 RON 37.13

201.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 Ft 22.6K

$38.48 RON 185

78.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 Ft 6,235

$20.29 RON 97.5

-6.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 Ft 3,356

$4.31 RON 20.73

136.19%

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

$600 Ft 197.9K

$396 RON 1,904

51.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

$8,844 RON 42.5K

89.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 Ft 32.6K

$59.9 RON 288

65.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 Ft 14.3K

$37.56 RON 180

15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 37.2K

$54.8 RON 263

105.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 Ft 38.6K

$63.4 RON 305

84.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 Ft 275.6K

$378 RON 1,818

121.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 Ft 210.9K

$290 RON 1,392

120.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 Ft 526.9K

$602 RON 2,893

165.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 Ft 397.3K

$441 RON 2,120

173.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,625 Ft 1.9M

$1,865 RON 8,961

201.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,802 Ft 1.3M

$1,333 RON 6,404

185.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,671 Ft 551.1K

$522 RON 2,510

220.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.1

-9.15%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sighetu Marmatiei: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$640 39.1%

Sighetu Marmatiei

$290 30.2% 54.7% $350

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Sighetu Marmatiei

$189 19.7% 27% $70

Eating Out

Budapest

$221 13.5%

Sighetu Marmatiei

$154 16.1% 30.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$219 13.4%

Sighetu Marmatiei

$152 15.9% 30.7% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.2%

Sighetu Marmatiei

$97 10.1% 42.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.4%

Sighetu Marmatiei

$47 4.9% 47% $42

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Sighetu Marmatiei

$29 3.1% 32.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Budapest versus $378 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $21 in Sighetu Marmatiei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $189 – making Sighetu Marmatiei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Sighetu Marmatiei

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

16:52 4:52 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

37,640

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Budapest Sighetu Marmatiei 370 km

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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 Sighetu Marmatiei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Budapest and $1,437 in Sighetu Marmatiei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sighetu Marmatiei, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $378 there versus $836 in Budapest.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Sighetu Marmatiei. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $600 per month in Budapest and $396 in Sighetu Marmatiei. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sighetu Marmatiei, where all-in costs run around $958, than in Budapest at $1,638. In Sighetu Marmatiei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sighetu Marmatiei – 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 Sighetu Marmatiei. 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.