Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Esztergom and Bucharest

For one person, living costs are similar in Esztergom and in Bucharest: $1,307 and $1,340 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Esztergom
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Esztergom Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Esztergom

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,307

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Esztergom and in Bucharest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,307 in Esztergom versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Esztergom $1,307
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,042 in Esztergom versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Esztergom $2,042
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,776 in Esztergom versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Esztergom $2,776
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Esztergom costs roughly 2% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Esztergom 3% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.24 Ft 3,956

$14.49 RON 68.6

-15.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 Ft 17.0K

$58.1 RON 275

-9.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 Ft 2,931

$7.48 RON 35.40

21.26%

Cappuccino

$2.66 Ft 860

$3.44 RON 16.29

-22.67%

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

$1.98 Ft 638

$2.37 RON 11.22

-16.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 Ft 380

$2.30 RON 10.88

-48.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 Ft 969

$3.70 RON 17.51

-18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Ft 893

$4.16 RON 19.69

-33.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 375

$1.67 RON 7.90

-30.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 Ft 465

$1.37 RON 6.50

5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 Ft 781

$1.72 RON 8.14

40.70%

Eggs

$3.17 Ft 1,024

$3.64 RON 17.22

-12.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 Ft 3,546

$9.08 RON 42.98

20.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 Ft 2,013

$6.84 RON 32.35

-8.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 Ft 4,422

$12.00 RON 56.8

14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.23 RON 5.80

102.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 Ft 689

$1.63 RON 7.73

30.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 Ft 688

$1.57 RON 7.45

35.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 Ft 1,316

$2.54 RON 12.01

60.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 Ft 387

$0.79 RON 3.75

51.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 Ft 409

$0.77 RON 3.66

64.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.87 RON 4.13

103.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Ft 169

$0.99 RON 4.70

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 Ft 2,550

$6.31 RON 29.86

25.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 Ft 2,023

$6.20 RON 29.34

0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 Ft 396

$1.19 RON 5.63

3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 Ft 523

$1.57 RON 7.45

3.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 Ft 388

$0.86 RON 4.08

39.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.73 Ft 7,990

$21.10 RON 99.8

17.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 Ft 1,011

$0.64 RON 3.05

389.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 Ft 508

$0.60 RON 2.86

161.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 Ft 5,813

$6.43 RON 30.43

179.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 Ft 592

$1.96 RON 9.25

-6.63%

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

$32.9K Ft 10.6M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

13.33%

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

$35.7K Ft 11.5M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

33.99%

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

$155 Ft 50.2K

$196 RON 927

-20.67%

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

$33.19 Ft 10.7K

$8.04 RON 38.04

312.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.01 Ft 8,728

$9.35 RON 44.21

188.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 Ft 16.7K

$50.2 RON 238

2.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.96 Ft 5,802

$25.33 RON 120

-29.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 Ft 2,405

$8.15 RON 38.55

-8.71%

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

$249 Ft 80.4K

$628 RON 2,971

-60.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,327 Ft 2.4M

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-47.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 Ft 28.5K

$89.6 RON 424

-1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.33 Ft 8,829

$38.32 RON 181

-28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 Ft 32.2K

$79.3 RON 375

25.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 Ft 34.0K

$90.4 RON 428

16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 Ft 172.4K

$678 RON 3,209

-21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 Ft 129.6K

$448 RON 2,121

-10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 Ft 278.0K

$1,083 RON 5,125

-20.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 Ft 238.8K

$725 RON 3,430

1.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 Ft 896.6K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-26.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 Ft 845.0K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

19.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,185 Ft 382.7K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-10.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

6.75

22.22%

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

Last update for Esztergom: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Esztergom

$401 30.7%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 11.7% $47

Groceries & Markets

Esztergom

$249 19%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 9.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Esztergom

$216 16.5%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 1.1% $2.3

Eating Out

Esztergom

$190 14.6%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 18.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Esztergom

$144 11%

Bucharest

$134 10% 7.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Esztergom

$67 5.1%

Bucharest

$67 5% 0% $0

Getting Around

Esztergom

$41 3.1%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 30.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $534 in Esztergom and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Esztergom vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $225, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Esztergom

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

1 h ahead of Esztergom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,642

1,883,425 Capital

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Esztergom Bucharest 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Esztergom
Bucharest

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

Esztergom vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Esztergom and Bucharest differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,307 vs $1,340 including rent). Esztergom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Bucharest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $534 in Esztergom versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,307 per month in Esztergom versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Esztergom runs roughly 17% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,307 in Esztergom versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Esztergom but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Esztergom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Esztergom and Bucharest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Esztergom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.