Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dealu and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Dealu: $1,045 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Dealu
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Dealu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Dealu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,045

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,045 per month in Dealu vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Dealu $1,045
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,738 per month in Dealu vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Dealu $1,738
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,430 per month in Dealu vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Dealu $2,430
Budapest $3,429

Dealu is about 35% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Dealu sits 23% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.97 RON 66.1

$13.94 Ft 4,503

0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 RON 405

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

39.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.64 RON 40.87

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-15.21%

Cappuccino

$1.95 RON 9.21

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-40.18%

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

$1.92 RON 9.09

$2.14 Ft 690

-10.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 RON 8.94

$1.78 Ft 577

6.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 RON 11.97

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-31.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 RON 15.65

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 8.00

$1.15 Ft 371

46.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.41

$1.79 Ft 578

-24.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 RON 8.10

$2.49 Ft 804

-31.33%

Eggs

$4.47 RON 21.14

$3.90 Ft 1,261

14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 RON 39.94

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-23.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 RON 24.92

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-20.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 RON 46.55

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-33.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 RON 5.39

$1.83 Ft 591

-37.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.77

$2.05 Ft 661

-30.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.56

$2.37 Ft 765

-32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 RON 12.38

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-32.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 RON 3.25

$0.99 Ft 320

-30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$1.00 Ft 322

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 RON 3.62

$1.58 Ft 511

-51.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$0.67 Ft 216

29.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 RON 25.19

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-33.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.35

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 RON 7.15

$1.27 Ft 411

18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 RON 9.20

$2.03 Ft 654

-4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.41

$1.52 Ft 490

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.36 RON 101

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-23.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 RON 2.67

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-83.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 RON 3.14

$1.37 Ft 442

-51.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 RON 33.75

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-64.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 RON 8.86

$1.82 Ft 589

2.75%

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

$28.2K RON 133.6K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-5.25%

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

$28.8K RON 136.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-14.82%

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

$107 RON 505

$171 Ft 55.3K

-37.60%

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

$10.67 RON 50.5

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-54.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.85 RON 22.96

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-79.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.68 RON 178

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-44.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 RON 97.6

$18.89 Ft 6,104

9.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 RON 49.73

$9.30 Ft 3,004

13.01%

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

$589 RON 2,785

$533 Ft 172.3K

10.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,879 RON 32.5K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-58.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 RON 288

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-38.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 RON 169

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-17.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 RON 605

$110 Ft 35.7K

15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 RON 497

$119 Ft 38.4K

-11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 RON 1,795

$830 Ft 268.3K

-54.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 RON 1,332

$622 Ft 200.9K

-54.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 RON 2,789

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-63.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 RON 2,143

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-61.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 RON 8,885

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-67.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 RON 6,349

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-65.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

6.45

8.06%

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

Last update for Dealu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dealu

$281 26.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 121% $340

Groceries & Markets

Dealu

$211 20.2%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 22.4% $47

Eating Out

Dealu

$196 18.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 14% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Dealu

$148 14.2%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 13% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dealu

$122 11.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 78.2% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Dealu

$59 5.6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 46.7% $27

Getting Around

Dealu

$28 2.7%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 57.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $379 in Dealu 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Dealu versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Dealu vs $258 in Budapest – so Dealu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Dealu

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

20:49 8:49 PM

1 h behind Dealu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,800

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 →

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Dealu Budapest 490 km

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Dealu
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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

Dealu vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,568 per month in Dealu 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 Dealu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Dealu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $589 per month in Dealu and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dealu, where all-in costs run around $1,045, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Dealu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dealu – 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 Dealu. 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.