Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Tulcea

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcea: $983 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Tulcea
Learn more

Tulcea Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Tulcea

🇷🇴 Romania

$983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Tulcea

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $983 in Tulcea, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Tulcea $983

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,558 in Tulcea, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Tulcea $1,558

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $2,132 in Tulcea, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Tulcea $2,132

Budapest costs about 65% more than Tulcea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Tulcea is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$11.48 RON 54.3

21.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$46.41 RON 220

31.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$7.59 RON 35.90

34.26%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$2.06 RON 9.77

58.25%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$2.12 RON 10.03

0.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$1.08 RON 5.12

64.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$2.14 RON 10.14

73.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$2.07 RON 9.82

82.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$1.62 RON 7.65

-29.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$1.02 RON 4.84

75.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.45 RON 6.84

71.72%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$3.04 RON 14.40

28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$7.65 RON 36.20

45.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$6.87 RON 32.48

-3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$9.52 RON 45.06

54.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.33 RON 6.31

37.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.65 RON 7.81

24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.43 RON 6.74

65.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.95 RON 9.21

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.74 RON 3.50

33.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.71 RON 3.36

40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$0.69 RON 3.27

128.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.75 RON 3.55

-10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$6.29 RON 29.76

26.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$6.36 RON 30.09

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.92 RON 4.34

38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.38 RON 6.53

47.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$1.06 RON 5.03

43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

$17.85 RON 84.5

56.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$0.62 RON 2.93

433.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.64 RON 3.04

114.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$6.45 RON 30.51

207.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.69 RON 8.02

7.69%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$28.3K RON 133.8K

5.34%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$25.0K RON 118.2K

35.38%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$132 RON 625

29.64%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$7.86 RON 37.19

199.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$8.82 RON 41.73

164.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$31.42 RON 149

114.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

$16.85 RON 79.7

12.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$8.48 RON 40.11

9.67%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$319 RON 1,510

67.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$3,075 RON 14.6K

444.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$52.8 RON 250

88.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$31.21 RON 148

39.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$90.4 RON 428

22.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$96.2 RON 455

23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$349 RON 1,652

137.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$274 RON 1,296

127.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

$592 RON 2,800

169.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$502 RON 2,374

133.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$1,022 RON 4,836

470.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$864 RON 4,089

349.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$646 RON 3,055

155.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.85

-5.84%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tulcea: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Tulcea

$274 27.9% 56% $348

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Tulcea

$198 20.1% 23.4% $60

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Tulcea

$167 17% 25.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Tulcea

$149 15.1% 31.8% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Tulcea

$122 12.4% 27.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Tulcea

$48 4.9% 43.8% $38

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Tulcea

$26 2.6% 41.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $349 in Tulcea. 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 156% 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 $46.00 in Tulcea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $198 – making Tulcea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇷🇴 Tulcea

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

12:00 12:00 PM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

73,707

💱 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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Between locations

Budapest Tulcea 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Tulcea

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 Tulcea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 65%, 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 $1,475 in Tulcea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 57% less in Tulcea. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $319 in Tulcea. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tulcea, where all-in costs run around $983, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Tulcea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tulcea – 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 Tulcea. 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.