Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Targu Mures

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $942 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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 Targu Mures
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Targu Mures Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$942

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $942 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Targu Mures $942

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,446 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Targu Mures $1,446

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,950 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Targu Mures $1,950

Budapest costs about 72% more than Targu Mures, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Targu Mures is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$9.02 RON 42.67

55.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$42.09 RON 199

43.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$8.17 RON 38.64

21.91%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.21 RON 10.43

52.94%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$1.46 RON 6.90

45.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$1.22 RON 5.78

53.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.94 RON 9.15

93.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$2.35 RON 11.12

51.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$1.36 RON 6.41

-16.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$1.12 RON 5.29

64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.39 RON 6.59

71.94%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$2.92 RON 13.81

31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$7.83 RON 37.04

44.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$5.78 RON 27.32

16.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$10.20 RON 48.24

44.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$0.93 RON 4.39

97.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.27 RON 6.01

58.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.45 RON 6.87

62.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.90 RON 8.99

98.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$0.72 RON 3.39

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.52 RON 2.46

98.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.88 RON 4.15

77.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.76 RON 3.59

-13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$5.81 RON 27.49

37.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$7.32 RON 34.64

-17.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.07 RON 5.07

21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.55 RON 7.33

34.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.65 RON 3.07

130.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$25.67 RON 121

7.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.85 RON 4.03

288.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.81 RON 3.82

60.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$7.60 RON 35.94

160.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.87 RON 8.85

-3.21%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$29.1K RON 137.7K

0.72%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$25.2K RON 119.2K

35.34%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$102 RON 482

66.92%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$9.28 RON 43.89

158.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$8.35 RON 39.49

180.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$41.67 RON 197

58.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$17.94 RON 84.9

6.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$6.21 RON 29.38

53.30%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$1,335 RON 6,312

-59.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$53.4 RON 253

89.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$30.39 RON 144

41.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$75.7 RON 358

48.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$78.4 RON 371

51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$421 RON 1,990

91.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$290 RON 1,371

117.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$646 RON 3,055

139.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$485 RON 2,294

140.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$2,236 RON 10.6K

151.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$1,482 RON 7,008

167.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$998 RON 4,722

62.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

7.47

-13.92%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Targu Mures

$290 30.7% 53.9% $339

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Targu Mures

$191 20.3% 25.7% $66

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Targu Mures

$148 15.7% 33.9% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Targu Mures

$119 12.7% 45% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Targu Mures

$107 11.4% 36.7% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Targu Mures

$54 5.7% 36.6% $31

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Targu Mures

$33 3.5% 23.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $421 in Targu Mures. 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 63% 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 Targu Mures. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $191 – making Targu Mures the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

134,290

💱 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 Targu Mures: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,412 in Targu Mures. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 8% less in Targu Mures. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $1,335 in Targu Mures. 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 Targu Mures, where all-in costs run around $942, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Targu Mures it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Targu Mures – 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 Mures. 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.