Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Slatina

For one person, living is cheaper in Slatina: $801 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Slatina
Learn more

Slatina Living Index

Jump to prices

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Slatina

🇷🇴 Romania

$801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Slatina

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $801 in Slatina, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Slatina $801

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,250 in Slatina, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Slatina $1,250

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,699 in Slatina, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Slatina $1,699

Budapest costs about 102% more than Slatina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Slatina is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.24 RON 53.2

24.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$30.83 RON 146

98.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.37 RON 34.89

38.26%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.49 RON 11.77

30.92%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.07 RON 9.79

3.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.65 RON 7.80

7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.64 RON 7.74

126.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.09 RON 9.87

80.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.50 RON 7.09

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.80 RON 3.81

123.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.77 RON 8.36

40.68%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.56 RON 12.10

52.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$9.09 RON 42.99

22.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$3.96 RON 18.75

67.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$5.85 RON 27.68

151.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$0.88 RON 4.16

107.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.51 RON 7.14

35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.66 RON 7.84

42.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.14 RON 5.41

242.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.78 RON 3.67

26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.81 RON 3.84

23.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.91 RON 4.30

73.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.61 RON 2.88

9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$5.23 RON 24.73

52.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$3.19 RON 15.10

94.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$1.18 RON 5.59

7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.87 RON 8.83

8.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.71 RON 3.34

114.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$21.36 RON 101

31.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.62 RON 2.93

433.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.66 RON 3.14

107.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$6.69 RON 31.64

196.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.43 RON 6.77

27.27%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.1K RON 132.8K

6.13%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.6K RON 121.1K

32.12%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$104 RON 490

65.19%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$1.71 RON 8.07

1274.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$9.15 RON 43.31

154.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$38.37 RON 182

76.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$19.94 RON 94.3

-5.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$9.43 RON 44.63

-1.38%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$446 RON 2,109

19.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$7,011 RON 33.2K

139.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$51.0 RON 241

95.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$31.73 RON 150

37.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$68.2 RON 323

61.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$73.0 RON 345

62.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$211 RON 996

294.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$169 RON 801

267.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$353 RON 1,671

351.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$293 RON 1,387

299.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,812 RON 8,573

221.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$1,367 RON 6,466

184.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$888 RON 4,203

85.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.07

-8.77%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Slatina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Slatina

$169 21.2% 72.8% $453

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Slatina

$162 20.2% 37.3% $96

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Slatina

$169 21.1% 24.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Slatina

$114 14.3% 47.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Slatina

$101 12.6% 39.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Slatina

$57 7.2% 33.5% $29

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Slatina

$28 3.5% 36.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $211 in Slatina. 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 86% 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 $31.00 in Slatina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $162 – making Slatina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Slatina

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

01:26 1:26 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

70,293

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Budapest Slatina 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Slatina

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 Slatina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,201 in Slatina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 31% less in Slatina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $446 in Slatina. 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 Slatina, where all-in costs run around $801, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Slatina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Slatina – 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 Slatina. 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.