Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Iasi: $1,251 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,251

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,251 per month in Iasi vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Iasi $1,251
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Iasi vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Iasi $1,834
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,417 per month in Iasi vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Iasi $2,417
Budapest $3,489

Iasi is about 23% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Iasi sits 7% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.54 RON 50.2

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.58 RON 198

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-31.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 RON 33.17

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-30.12%

Cappuccino

$2.95 RON 14.07

$3.38 Ft 1,102

-12.72%

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

$2.29 RON 10.89

$2.13 Ft 693

7.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.46

$1.87 Ft 609

-4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 RON 14.58

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 RON 17.59

$3.57 Ft 1,163

3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 RON 7.14

$1.13 Ft 369

32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 RON 6.34

$1.84 Ft 600

-27.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 RON 9.44

$2.39 Ft 777

-17.15%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 15.95

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-12.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 RON 39.11

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-27.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.61 RON 31.52

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 RON 46.50

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.53

$1.84 Ft 598

-25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.74

$2.01 Ft 654

-19.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.92

$2.36 Ft 767

-29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 RON 10.28

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-42.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 4.02

$0.96 Ft 314

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$1.03 Ft 335

-19.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 RON 5.30

$1.56 Ft 509

-28.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$0.66 Ft 216

42.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 RON 29.82

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-21.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 RON 32.76

$6.01 Ft 1,956

14.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 RON 6.22

$1.30 Ft 422

0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 RON 9.84

$2.08 Ft 677

-0.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.50 Ft 490

-42.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 RON 133

$27.61 Ft 8,991

0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 RON 4.12

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-73.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.05

$1.30 Ft 424

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.30 RON 39.57

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-58.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.08

$1.81 Ft 591

4.97%

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

$28.5K RON 135.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-2.92%

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

$27.3K RON 130.2K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-19.92%

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

$183 RON 870

$170 Ft 55.3K

7.40%

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

$7.40 RON 35.28

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-69.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.66 RON 41.28

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-63.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.73 RON 213

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-32.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 RON 75.0

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-17.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.86

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-14.39%

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

$412 RON 1,962

$537 Ft 174.8K

-23.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,959 RON 33.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-58.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 RON 352

$101 Ft 33.0K

-27.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 RON 188

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-8.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 RON 453

$113 Ft 36.7K

-15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 RON 438

$119 Ft 38.7K

-22.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 RON 2,567

$805 Ft 262.2K

-33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 RON 2,036

$629 Ft 204.9K

-32.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 RON 4,163

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-43.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 RON 3,185

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-42.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,932 RON 14.0K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-47.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 RON 9,103

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-51.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 RON 5,324

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-31.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

6.43

11.66%

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

Last update for Iasi: 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

Iasi

$427 34.1%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 47.3% $202

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$215 17.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 19.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$199 15.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 9.4% $19

Eating Out

Iasi

$180 14.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 24.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$135 10.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 25.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.9%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 39.7% $24

Getting Around

Iasi

$36 2.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 19.4% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $539 in Iasi 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 46% 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 Iasi versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $258 – making Iasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

1 h behind Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Iasi Budapest 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Iasi
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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

Iasi vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,876 per month in Iasi 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 Iasi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Iasi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $412 per month in Iasi 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 Iasi, where all-in costs run around $1,251, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Iasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iasi – 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 Iasi. 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.