Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galati and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Galati: $1,060 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Galati
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Galati Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Galati

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,060

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Galati vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Galati $1,060
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,604 per month in Galati vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Galati $1,604
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,148 per month in Galati vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Galati $2,148
Budapest $3,489

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.30 RON 48.72

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.07 RON 199

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-30.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 RON 33.90

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-28.01%

Cappuccino

$2.53 RON 11.97

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-25.15%

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

$2.13 RON 10.06

$2.13 Ft 692

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 RON 8.62

$1.87 Ft 608

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 RON 9.99

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-43.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 RON 15.15

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-10.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 RON 5.87

$1.13 Ft 368

9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 RON 3.13

$1.84 Ft 599

-64.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 RON 8.21

$2.39 Ft 777

-27.20%

Eggs

$3.49 RON 16.51

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-8.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 RON 36.69

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-31.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 RON 27.79

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.53 RON 40.33

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-41.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 RON 6.25

$1.84 Ft 597

-28.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.80

$2.01 Ft 653

-17.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$2.36 Ft 767

-33.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-52.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.56

$0.96 Ft 313

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.82

$1.03 Ft 334

-0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.80

$1.56 Ft 509

-48.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 RON 3.16

$0.66 Ft 216

1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.79 RON 27.40

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-27.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.29 RON 25.03

$6.01 Ft 1,954

-11.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.51

$1.30 Ft 421

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.65

$2.08 Ft 676

-42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 RON 3.56

$1.50 Ft 489

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 RON 116

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-11.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 RON 2.92

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-81.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.32

$1.30 Ft 424

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 32.83

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-64.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 RON 8.31

$1.81 Ft 591

-2.76%

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

$28.3K RON 133.8K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-3.57%

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

$25.0K RON 118.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-26.75%

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

$151 RON 714

$170 Ft 55.3K

-11.23%

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

$7.58 RON 35.87

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-68.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.84 RON 37.11

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-66.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.52 RON 182

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-41.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.79 RON 165

$19.18 Ft 6,239

81.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 RON 29.04

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-35.50%

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

$587 RON 2,777

$537 Ft 174.6K

9.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,028 RON 23.8K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-69.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 RON 460

$101 Ft 33.0K

-4.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 RON 150

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-26.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 RON 292

$113 Ft 36.7K

-45.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.6 RON 400

$119 Ft 38.6K

-28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 RON 1,800

$805 Ft 262.0K

-52.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 RON 1,526

$629 Ft 204.7K

-48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 RON 3,705

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-49.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$571 RON 2,703

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-51.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 RON 7,672

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-71.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,250 RON 5,914

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-68.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$903 RON 4,270

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-44.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.43

11.98%

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

Last update for Galati: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galati

$323 30.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 95% $307

Groceries & Markets

Galati

$184 17.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 40.2% $74

Eating Out

Galati

$167 16%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 34.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galati

$166 15.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 30.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Galati

$124 11.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 36.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Galati

$51 4.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 67.9% $34

Getting Around

Galati

$32 3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 37.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $381 in Galati 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 80% 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 Galati versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $258 – making Galati the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Galati

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h behind Galati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

249,432

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

Galati Budapest 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Galati
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

Galati vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,590 per month in Galati 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 Galati, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Galati. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $587 per month in Galati and $537 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 Galati, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Galati it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Galati – 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 Galati. 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.