Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Craiova and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,187 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,187

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Craiova 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 Craiova and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Craiova vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Craiova $1,187
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,763 per month in Craiova vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Craiova $1,763
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,338 per month in Craiova vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Craiova $2,338
Budapest $3,489

Craiova is about 27% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Craiova sits 11% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 RON 35.62

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-46.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.41 RON 196

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-31.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 RON 34.05

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-27.71%

Cappuccino

$2.62 RON 12.40

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-22.49%

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

$2.21 RON 10.44

$2.13 Ft 692

3.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.51

$1.87 Ft 608

-3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 RON 11.14

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-37.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 RON 16.35

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 RON 6.26

$1.13 Ft 368

16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 RON 4.09

$1.84 Ft 599

-52.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.54

$2.39 Ft 777

-42.26%

Eggs

$3.41 RON 16.12

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 RON 33.61

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-37.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 RON 30.57

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 RON 53.7

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-22.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.90

$1.84 Ft 597

-43.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.82

$2.01 Ft 653

-28.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.90

$2.36 Ft 767

-38.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.66

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-51.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$0.96 Ft 313

-19.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 RON 4.00

$1.03 Ft 334

-18.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 RON 3.24

$1.56 Ft 509

-55.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 RON 3.56

$0.66 Ft 216

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 RON 30.08

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-20.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 RON 29.66

$6.01 Ft 1,954

4.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.66

$1.30 Ft 421

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 RON 6.96

$2.08 Ft 676

-29.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 RON 3.87

$1.50 Ft 489

-45.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.32 RON 120

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-8.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.04

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-80.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.89

$1.30 Ft 424

-53.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 RON 30.25

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-67.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.09

$1.81 Ft 591

6.08%

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

$28.0K RON 132.6K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-4.43%

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

$26.2K RON 124.0K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-23.13%

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

$214 RON 1,011

$170 Ft 55.3K

25.80%

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

$9.61 RON 45.43

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-59.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 RON 54.5

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-50.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 RON 211

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-32.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 RON 101

$19.18 Ft 6,239

11.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 RON 35.30

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-21.64%

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

$421 RON 1,992

$537 Ft 174.6K

-21.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,039 RON 38.0K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-51.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 RON 298

$101 Ft 33.0K

-37.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 RON 241

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

18.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 RON 392

$113 Ft 36.7K

-26.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 RON 481

$119 Ft 38.6K

-14.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 RON 2,379

$805 Ft 262.0K

-37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 RON 1,851

$629 Ft 204.7K

-37.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 RON 4,132

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-43.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 RON 2,845

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-48.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,655 RON 12.6K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-52.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,024 RON 9,575

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-48.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$941 RON 4,449

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-42.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.43

6.38%

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

Last update for Craiova: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Craiova

$391 32.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 60.8% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Craiova

$235 19.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 7.5% $18

Groceries & Markets

Craiova

$195 16.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 32.2% $63

Eating Out

Craiova

$148 12.4%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 51.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Craiova

$134 11.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 25.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Craiova

$59 5%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 43.5% $26

Getting Around

Craiova

$32 2.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 34.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $503 in Craiova versus $805 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 73% 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 $41.00 in Craiova versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $258 – making Craiova the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Craiova

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

07:08 7:08 AM

1 h behind Craiova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,506

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

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).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Craiova Budapest 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Craiova
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

Craiova vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Craiova and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 9% less in Craiova. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $421 per month in Craiova and $537 in Budapest. 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 Craiova, where all-in costs run around $1,187, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Craiova it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Craiova – 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 Craiova. 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.