Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Targu Jiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Jiu: $980 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Targu Jiu
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Targu Jiu Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Targu Jiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Targu Jiu

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $980 in Targu Jiu, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Targu Jiu $980

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,514 in Targu Jiu, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Targu Jiu $1,514

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,049 in Targu Jiu, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Targu Jiu $2,049

Budapest costs about 67% more than Targu Jiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Targu Jiu is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$14.97 RON 70.8

-6.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$57.1 RON 270

6.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$7.51 RON 35.54

38.08%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$3.46 RON 16.35

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.08 RON 5.10

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$2.24 RON 10.60

-20.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$3.85 RON 18.19

-4.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$4.33 RON 20.49

-12.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.63 RON 7.71

-28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.37 RON 6.47

35.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$1.76 RON 8.33

36.36%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$2.73 RON 12.90

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$7.55 RON 35.70

50.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$2.88 RON 13.60

138.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$7.23 RON 34.23

100.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$0.97 RON 4.58

93.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$1.48 RON 7.00

44.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$1.19 RON 5.63

93.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$1.24 RON 5.86

225.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$0.83 RON 3.93

22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.79 RON 3.73

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$0.66 RON 3.12

139.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.52 RON 2.46

34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$5.16 RON 24.39

55.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$3.01 RON 14.24

105.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$0.81 RON 3.82

53.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.03 RON 4.88

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$0.62 RON 2.91

453.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$0.60 RON 2.84

121.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$6.19 RON 29.27

230.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.89 RON 8.95

2.12%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$28.9K RON 136.9K

0.67%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$25.8K RON 122.1K

34.53%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$195 RON 921

-10.27%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$5.97 RON 28.27

295.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$9.41 RON 44.54

150.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$31.87 RON 151

116.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$8.40 RON 39.75

22.74%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$638 RON 3,018

-16.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$14.2K RON 67.0K

18.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$50.9 RON 241

96.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$25.23 RON 119

71.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$53.6 RON 254

108.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$83.5 RON 395

42.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$348 RON 1,646

139.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$240 RON 1,136

161.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$481 RON 2,278

229.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$402 RON 1,901

197.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,538 RON 12.0K

125.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$530 RON 2,509

222.88%

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 Targu Jiu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Targu Jiu

$240 24.5% 61.8% $389

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Targu Jiu

$156 16% 40.3% $105

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Targu Jiu

$225 23% 0.6% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Targu Jiu

$210 21.4% 5.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Targu Jiu

$96 9.8% 42.9% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Targu Jiu

$49 5% 45.6% $41

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Targu Jiu

$3.6 * 0.4% 91.8% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $348 in Targu Jiu. 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 223% 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 $57.0 in Targu Jiu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $156 – making Targu Jiu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Targu Jiu

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

82,504

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Budapest Targu Jiu 420 km

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Budapest
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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 Targu Jiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,470 in Targu Jiu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $57.0 in Targu Jiu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Targu Jiu, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Targu Jiu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Targu Jiu – 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 Targu Jiu. 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.