Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calafat and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Calafat: $1,009 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Calafat
Learn more

Calafat Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Calafat

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,009

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calafat and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Calafat and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,009 per month in Calafat vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Calafat $1,009
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,485 per month in Calafat vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Calafat $1,485
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,961 per month in Calafat vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Calafat $1,961
Budapest $3,429

Calafat is about 38% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Calafat sits 25% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 RON 34.45

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-47.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 RON 182

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-37.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 RON 35.29

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-26.79%

Cappuccino

$2.05 RON 9.69

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-37.12%

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

$1.50 RON 7.08

$2.14 Ft 690

-29.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.80

$1.78 Ft 577

-55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 RON 4.84

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-72.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 RON 9.21

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-48.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 RON 5.65

$1.15 Ft 371

3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 RON 3.89

$1.79 Ft 578

-54.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 RON 6.35

$2.49 Ft 804

-46.18%

Eggs

$2.37 RON 11.20

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-39.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 RON 32.68

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-37.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 RON 29.29

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-6.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.14 RON 29.03

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-58.20%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.62

$1.83 Ft 591

-46.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.10

$2.05 Ft 661

-26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 RON 5.89

$2.37 Ft 765

-47.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.10

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-61.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 RON 2.92

$0.99 Ft 320

-37.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.39

$1.00 Ft 322

-28.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RON 3.51

$1.58 Ft 511

-53.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$0.67 Ft 216

14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 RON 25.00

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-33.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 RON 30.13

$6.22 Ft 2,009

2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.27 Ft 411

-37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 RON 6.95

$2.03 Ft 654

-27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.57

$1.52 Ft 490

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.28 RON 101

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-24.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 RON 2.56

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-83.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 RON 2.46

$1.37 Ft 442

-62.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-68.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 RON 6.78

$1.82 Ft 589

-21.43%

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

$25.9K RON 122.7K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-12.96%

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

$26.7K RON 126.1K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-21.16%

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

$217 RON 1,029

$171 Ft 55.3K

27.10%

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

$7.32 RON 34.61

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-68.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.42 RON 30.39

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-72.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 RON 179

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-44.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.94 RON 94.4

$18.89 Ft 6,104

5.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 RON 34.70

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-21.18%

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

$419 RON 1,983

$533 Ft 172.3K

-21.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,102 RON 38.3K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-51.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 RON 293

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-37.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 RON 202

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 RON 388

$110 Ft 35.7K

-25.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.7 RON 401

$119 Ft 38.4K

-28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 RON 1,808

$830 Ft 268.3K

-53.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,354

$622 Ft 200.9K

-53.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 RON 2,827

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 RON 2,106

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-61.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,861 RON 8,807

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-68.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 RON 6,414

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-65.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$810 RON 3,833

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-50.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

-6.98%

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

Last update for Calafat: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calafat

$286 28.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 117% $336

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calafat

$231 22.9%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 5.8% $13

Groceries & Markets

Calafat

$167 16.5%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 54.8% $91

Eating Out

Calafat

$123 12.2%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 80.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Calafat

$122 12.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 37.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Calafat

$52 5.2%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 64.4% $34

Getting Around

Calafat

$27 2.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 61.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $382 in Calafat versus $830 in Budapest. 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 104% 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 $38.00 in Calafat versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $258 – making Calafat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Calafat

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

20:47 8:47 PM

1 h behind Calafat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,500

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

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).

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).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calafat Budapest 490 km

From you

Calafat
Budapest

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

Calafat vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,514 per month in Calafat and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 32% less in Calafat. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $419 per month in Calafat and $533 in Budapest. 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 Calafat, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Calafat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calafat – 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 Calafat. 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.