Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miercurea Ciuc and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc: $735 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Miercurea Ciuc
Learn more

Miercurea Ciuc Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Miercurea Ciuc

🇷🇴 Romania

$735

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $735 per month in Miercurea Ciuc vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Miercurea Ciuc $735
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Miercurea Ciuc vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Miercurea Ciuc $1,172
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,609 per month in Miercurea Ciuc vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Miercurea Ciuc $1,609
Budapest $3,429

Miercurea Ciuc is about 55% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Miercurea Ciuc sits 46% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.29 RON 29.78

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-54.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.86 RON 98.7

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-65.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 RON 28.85

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-40.14%

Cappuccino

$1.72 RON 8.14

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-47.24%

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

$1.61 RON 7.63

$2.14 Ft 690

-24.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 RON 6.55

$1.78 Ft 577

-21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 RON 9.56

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-45.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 RON 9.18

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-48.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 RON 6.45

$1.15 Ft 371

18.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 RON 5.41

$1.79 Ft 578

-36.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.28

$2.49 Ft 804

-46.59%

Eggs

$3.39 RON 16.03

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 RON 37.72

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-28.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 RON 21.61

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-30.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.97 RON 37.72

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-45.75%

Apples (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.37

$1.83 Ft 591

-61.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.05

$2.05 Ft 661

-27.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.04

$2.37 Ft 765

-37.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-36.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$0.99 Ft 320

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$1.00 Ft 322

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 RON 1.91

$1.58 Ft 511

-74.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$0.67 Ft 216

-1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 RON 24.05

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-36.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 RON 24.52

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-16.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.49

$1.27 Ft 411

-25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 RON 6.04

$2.03 Ft 654

-36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 RON 3.91

$1.52 Ft 490

-45.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.11 RON 99.9

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-24.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 RON 4.59

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-70.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.03

$1.37 Ft 442

-37.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-56.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.96

$1.82 Ft 589

-7.69%

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

$24.9K RON 117.8K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-16.41%

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

$24.6K RON 116.4K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-27.25%

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

$114 RON 540

$171 Ft 55.3K

-33.27%

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

$5.37 RON 25.39

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-77.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.08 RON 24.05

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-78.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 RON 148

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-53.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.57 RON 50.0

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-44.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 RON 22.55

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-48.71%

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

$446 RON 2,109

$533 Ft 172.3K

-16.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,729 RON 31.8K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-59.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.42 RON 201

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-57.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 RON 78.6

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-61.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 RON 325

$110 Ft 35.7K

-37.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 RON 392

$119 Ft 38.4K

-30.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 RON 878

$830 Ft 268.3K

-77.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 RON 731

$622 Ft 200.9K

-75.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 RON 1,957

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 RON 1,750

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-68.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,476 RON 6,982

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-74.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,363 RON 6,447

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-64.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$691 RON 3,270

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-58.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.45

6.20%

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

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Miercurea Ciuc

$176 23.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 46.6% $82

Accommodation & Living

Miercurea Ciuc

$155 21%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 303% $467

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miercurea Ciuc

$125 17%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 74.9% $93

Eating Out

Miercurea Ciuc

$115 15.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 93.5% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Miercurea Ciuc

$95 12.9%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 76.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Miercurea Ciuc

$41 5.5%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 111% $45

Getting Around

Miercurea Ciuc

$30 4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 49.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $185 in Miercurea Ciuc 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 $21.00 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $258 – making Miercurea Ciuc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

21:57 9:57 PM

1 h behind Miercurea Ciuc

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,966

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Miercurea Ciuc Budapest 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Miercurea Ciuc
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

Miercurea Ciuc vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,103 per month in Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Miercurea Ciuc. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $446 per month in Miercurea Ciuc and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miercurea Ciuc, where all-in costs run around $735, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Miercurea Ciuc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miercurea Ciuc – 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 Miercurea Ciuc. 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.