Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oradea and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Oradea: $975 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Oradea
Learn more

Oradea Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Oradea

🇷🇴 Romania

$975

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $975 per month in Oradea vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Oradea $975
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,443 per month in Oradea vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Oradea $1,443
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Oradea vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Oradea $1,912
Budapest $3,489

Oradea is about 40% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Oradea sits 27% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.49 RON 40.15

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-39.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.39 RON 200

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-29.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 RON 35.42

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-24.80%

Cappuccino

$2.61 RON 12.34

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-22.78%

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

$1.82 RON 8.61

$2.13 Ft 692

-14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.04

$1.87 Ft 608

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 RON 10.17

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 RON 15.21

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-10.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 RON 7.00

$1.13 Ft 368

30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RON 4.83

$1.84 Ft 599

-44.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.64

$2.39 Ft 777

-50.21%

Eggs

$2.85 RON 13.46

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-25.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 RON 39.03

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-27.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 RON 29.45

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-7.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 RON 42.80

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-38.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 RON 5.03

$1.84 Ft 597

-42.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.01

$2.01 Ft 653

-26.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.85

$2.36 Ft 767

-38.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-62.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 RON 4.09

$0.96 Ft 313

-10.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.17

$1.03 Ft 334

-14.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 RON 3.30

$1.56 Ft 509

-55.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.89

$0.66 Ft 216

24.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 RON 28.12

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-25.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 RON 26.93

$6.01 Ft 1,954

-5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.91

$1.30 Ft 421

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 RON 8.68

$2.08 Ft 676

-12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.50 Ft 489

-48.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.97 RON 89.7

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-31.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 RON 3.56

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-77.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 RON 3.61

$1.30 Ft 424

-41.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 RON 34.41

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-63.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 8.40

$1.81 Ft 591

-1.66%

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

$28.6K RON 135.5K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-2.34%

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

$25.1K RON 118.6K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-26.48%

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

$137 RON 649

$170 Ft 55.3K

-19.21%

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

$6.32 RON 29.90

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-73.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.08 RON 38.21

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-65.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.21 RON 219

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-30.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 RON 76.6

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-15.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 RON 35.46

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-21.22%

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

$397 RON 1,876

$537 Ft 174.6K

-26.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,125 RON 43.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-45.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 RON 287

$101 Ft 33.0K

-40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.01 RON 175

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-13.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 RON 256

$113 Ft 36.7K

-52.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 RON 304

$119 Ft 38.6K

-45.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 RON 1,895

$805 Ft 262.0K

-50.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 RON 1,466

$629 Ft 204.7K

-50.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 RON 2,534

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-65.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 RON 1,876

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-66.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,969 RON 9,314

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-64.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,925 RON 9,105

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-51.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$895 RON 4,235

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-44.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

6.43

10.42%

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

Last update for Oradea: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oradea

$310 31.4%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 103% $319

Groceries & Markets

Oradea

$188 19.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 36.7% $69

Eating Out

Oradea

$153 15.5%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 46.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oradea

$152 15.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 43.3% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Oradea

$97 9.8%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 74% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Oradea

$61 6.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 39.3% $24

Getting Around

Oradea

$27 2.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 63.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Oradea 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 82% 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 Oradea versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $258 – making Oradea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Oradea

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

07:23 7:23 AM

1 h behind Oradea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

196,367

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oradea Budapest 220 km

From you

Oradea
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

Oradea vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,462 per month in Oradea 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 Oradea, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Oradea. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $397 per month in Oradea 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 Oradea, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Oradea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Oradea – 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 Oradea. 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.