Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Vulcanesti

For one person, living is cheaper in Vulcanesti: $766 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Vulcanesti
Learn more

Vulcanesti Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Vulcanesti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Vulcanesti

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $766 in Vulcanesti, rent included.

Budapest $1,619
Vulcanesti $766

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $1,130 in Vulcanesti, rent included.

Budapest $2,524
Vulcanesti $1,130

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $1,494 in Vulcanesti, rent included.

Budapest $3,429
Vulcanesti $1,494

Budapest costs about 111% more than Vulcanesti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 20% above the global median, while Vulcanesti is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 Ft 4,503

$6.61 MDL 117

110.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

$29.79 MDL 529

105.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 Ft 3,291

$10.38 MDL 184

-1.83%

Cappuccino

$3.26 Ft 1,055

$1.14 MDL 20.21

185.96%

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

$2.14 Ft 690

$0.81 MDL 14.46

164.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 Ft 577

$0.37 MDL 6.61

381.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 Ft 1,198

$1.10 MDL 19.61

237.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 Ft 1,217

$1.42 MDL 25.27

165.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.93 MDL 16.59

23.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 Ft 578

$0.46 MDL 8.19

289.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.65 MDL 29.22

50.91%

Eggs

$3.90 Ft 1,261

$2.24 MDL 39.72

74.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 Ft 3,587

$6.68 MDL 119

66.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 Ft 2,139

$4.70 MDL 83.5

40.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,745

$8.24 MDL 146

78.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.24 MDL 22.09

47.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 661

$1.71 MDL 30.34

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 765

$1.75 MDL 31.01

35.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 Ft 1,260

$1.84 MDL 32.63

111.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$0.64 MDL 11.42

54.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 Ft 322

$0.33 MDL 5.79

203.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 511

$2.13 MDL 37.75

-25.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 Ft 216

$0.41 MDL 7.22

63.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,572

$3.39 MDL 60.2

134.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 Ft 2,009

$2.42 MDL 42.91

157.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$0.88 MDL 15.65

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 Ft 654

$1.25 MDL 22.20

62.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 Ft 490

$0.33 MDL 5.83

360.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 Ft 1,070

$1.11 MDL 19.66

198.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 442

$0.19 MDL 3.34

621.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 Ft 6,406

$3.29 MDL 58.4

502.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 Ft 589

$1.24 MDL 21.95

46.77%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$23.2K MDL 412.2K

28.38%

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

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

$20.7K MDL 366.8K

63.70%

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

$171 Ft 55.3K

$104 MDL 1,855

63.81%

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

$23.51 Ft 7,596

$5.15 MDL 91.6

356.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.29 Ft 7,526

$5.53 MDL 98.3

321.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

$16.80 MDL 298

301.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 Ft 3,004

$7.70 MDL 137

20.78%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

$113 MDL 2,003

372.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$5,159 MDL 91.6K

224.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

$30.51 MDL 542

226.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

$25.59 MDL 455

69.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Ft 35.7K

$82.3 MDL 1,461

34.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$138 MDL 2,443

-13.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 Ft 268.3K

$277 MDL 4,913

200.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 Ft 200.9K

$222 MDL 3,946

179.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

$285 MDL 5,053

311.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

$868 MDL 15.4K

571.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

$852 MDL 15.1K

356.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

$705 MDL 12.5K

134.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

7.5

-14.00%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vulcanesti: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Budapest

$622 38.4%

Vulcanesti

$222 29% 64.3% $400

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.9%

Vulcanesti

$158 20.6% 38.7% $100

Eating Out

Budapest

$223 13.8%

Vulcanesti

$111 14.5% 50.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$218 13.5%

Vulcanesti

$115 15% 47.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.4%

Vulcanesti

$124 16.2% 25.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$86 5.3%

Vulcanesti

$32 4.2% 62.6% $54

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Vulcanesti

$3.4 * 0.4% 92.4% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest versus $277 in Vulcanesti. 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 134% 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 $30.00 in Vulcanesti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $158 – making Vulcanesti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇲🇩 Vulcanesti

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

22,000

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Budapest Vulcanesti 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
Vulcanesti

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 Vulcanesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $1,149 in Vulcanesti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vulcanesti, 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 $30.00 in Vulcanesti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Vulcanesti, where all-in costs run around $766, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Vulcanesti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vulcanesti – 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 Vulcanesti. 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.