Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mamaia and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Mamaia: $1,038 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Mamaia
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Mamaia Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Mamaia

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,038

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,038 per month in Mamaia vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Mamaia $1,038
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Mamaia vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Mamaia $1,573
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,108 per month in Mamaia vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Mamaia $2,108
Budapest $3,429

Mamaia is about 36% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 RON 46.98

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-28.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.60 RON 216

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-25.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 RON 35.96

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-25.42%

Cappuccino

$2.65 RON 12.55

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-18.71%

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

$1.97 RON 9.34

$2.14 Ft 690

-7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.52

$1.78 Ft 577

1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 RON 10.77

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 RON 13.38

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-24.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 RON 6.92

$1.15 Ft 371

26.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 RON 5.89

$1.79 Ft 578

-30.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 RON 7.96

$2.49 Ft 804

-32.53%

Eggs

$3.36 RON 15.91

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-13.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 RON 39.11

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-25.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 RON 31.88

$6.62 Ft 2,139

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 RON 45.24

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-34.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 RON 5.54

$1.83 Ft 591

-36.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.46

$2.05 Ft 661

-22.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.65

$2.37 Ft 765

-31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 RON 10.53

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-42.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.81

$0.99 Ft 320

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 RON 4.19

$1.00 Ft 322

-11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 RON 4.40

$1.58 Ft 511

-41.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.67

$0.67 Ft 216

16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 RON 27.68

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-26.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 RON 29.04

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 RON 5.02

$1.27 Ft 411

-16.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 RON 7.62

$2.03 Ft 654

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 3.19

$1.52 Ft 490

-55.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.50 RON 92.3

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-30.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 RON 3.36

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-78.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 RON 3.58

$1.37 Ft 442

-44.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 RON 32.95

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-64.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.34

$1.82 Ft 589

-14.84%

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

$27.6K RON 130.7K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-7.30%

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

$27.7K RON 131.0K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-18.14%

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

$146 RON 693

$171 Ft 55.3K

-14.39%

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

$7.93 RON 37.52

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-66.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.06 RON 42.86

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-61.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.75 RON 198

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-38.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 RON 89.5

$18.89 Ft 6,104

0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.96 RON 32.94

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-25.16%

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

$429 RON 2,027

$533 Ft 172.3K

-19.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,889 RON 32.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-58.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 RON 329

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-30.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 RON 187

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 RON 355

$110 Ft 35.7K

-32.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 RON 442

$119 Ft 38.4K

-21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 RON 1,845

$830 Ft 268.3K

-53.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 RON 1,400

$622 Ft 200.9K

-52.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 RON 2,758

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-63.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 RON 2,042

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-63.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,901 RON 8,996

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-67.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 RON 7,175

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-61.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.45

0.78%

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

Last update for Mamaia: October 10, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mamaia

$296 28.5%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 110% $326

Groceries & Markets

Mamaia

$205 19.8%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 25.6% $53

Eating Out

Mamaia

$166 16%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 34.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mamaia

$163 15.7%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 33.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Mamaia

$125 12%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 34.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Mamaia

$56 5.4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 54.7% $30

Getting Around

Mamaia

$27 2.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 65.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $390 in Mamaia 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 $46.00 in Mamaia versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $258 – making Mamaia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Mamaia

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

23:26 11:26 PM

1 h behind Mamaia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

441

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

Mamaia Budapest 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mamaia
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

Mamaia vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,557 per month in Mamaia 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 Mamaia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Mamaia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $429 per month in Mamaia and $533 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 Mamaia, where all-in costs run around $1,038, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Mamaia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mamaia – 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 Mamaia. 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.