Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Focsani and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Focsani: $1,022 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Focsani
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Focsani Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Focsani

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,022

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,022 per month in Focsani vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Focsani $1,022
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,645 per month in Focsani vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Focsani $1,645
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,268 per month in Focsani vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Focsani $2,268
Budapest $3,429

Focsani is about 37% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Focsani sits 24% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 RON 33.85

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-48.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.05 RON 199

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-31.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 RON 34.11

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-29.24%

Cappuccino

$2.50 RON 11.84

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-23.31%

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

$1.93 RON 9.15

$2.14 Ft 690

-9.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RON 7.50

$1.78 Ft 577

-10.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 RON 9.07

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-48.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 RON 12.11

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-32.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.82

$1.15 Ft 371

43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 RON 5.24

$1.79 Ft 578

-37.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$2.49 Ft 804

-50.60%

Eggs

$3.15 RON 14.89

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 RON 41.26

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-21.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RON 32.45

$6.62 Ft 2,139

3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 RON 50.4

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-27.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 RON 5.48

$1.83 Ft 591

-36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.35

$2.05 Ft 661

-24.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$2.37 Ft 765

-34.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 RON 10.77

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-41.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.99 Ft 320

-16.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.50

$1.00 Ft 322

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 RON 2.87

$1.58 Ft 511

-61.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RON 3.37

$0.67 Ft 216

5.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 RON 28.01

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-25.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.23 RON 20.00

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-31.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.39

$1.27 Ft 411

-10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 RON 7.00

$2.03 Ft 654

-27.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 RON 3.91

$1.52 Ft 490

-45.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.66 RON 74.1

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-44.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 RON 3.08

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-80.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.06

$1.37 Ft 442

-52.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.42

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-67.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 RON 8.89

$1.82 Ft 589

3.30%

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

$24.8K RON 117.1K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-16.90%

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

$24.2K RON 114.5K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-28.44%

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

$170 RON 806

$171 Ft 55.3K

-0.49%

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

$8.23 RON 38.96

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-64.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.13 RON 43.22

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-60.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.99 RON 132

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-58.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.72 RON 174

$18.89 Ft 6,104

94.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 RON 40.28

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-8.49%

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

$312 RON 1,478

$533 Ft 172.3K

-41.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.1K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-12.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 RON 422

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-10.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.34 RON 181

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-11.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 RON 380

$110 Ft 35.7K

-27.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 RON 428

$119 Ft 38.4K

-23.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 RON 1,726

$830 Ft 268.3K

-56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,381

$622 Ft 200.9K

-53.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 RON 4,300

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-42.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 RON 3,020

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-45.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 RON 5,014

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-81.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$872 RON 4,125

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-77.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 RON 3,263

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-58.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.45

4.65%

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

Last update for Focsani: 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

Focsani

$292 28.6%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 113% $330

Groceries & Markets

Focsani

$202 19.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 27.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Focsani

$188 18.4%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 16.1% $30

Eating Out

Focsani

$138 13.5%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 62% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Focsani

$134 13.1%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 24.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Focsani

$45 4.4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 91.3% $41

Getting Around

Focsani

$23 2.2%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 93.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $365 in Focsani 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 139% 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 $42.00 in Focsani versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $258 – making Focsani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Focsani

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

00:11 12:11 AM

1 h behind Focsani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,186

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

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Between locations

Focsani Budapest 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Focsani
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

Focsani vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,532 per month in Focsani 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 Focsani, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Focsani. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $312 per month in Focsani and $533 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 Focsani, where all-in costs run around $1,022, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Focsani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Focsani – 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 Focsani. 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.