Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Roman: $840 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Roman
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Roman Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Roman

🇷🇴 Romania

$840

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $840 per month in Roman vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Roman $840
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,393 per month in Roman vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Roman $1,393
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,946 per month in Roman vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Roman $1,946
Budapest $3,429

Roman is about 48% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Roman sits 38% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.42 RON 49.30

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-25.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 RON 161

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-44.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 RON 34.59

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-28.26%

Cappuccino

$2.43 RON 11.49

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-25.46%

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

$1.38 RON 6.54

$2.14 Ft 690

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 RON 5.03

$1.78 Ft 577

-40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 RON 9.69

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-44.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 RON 10.29

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-42.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 RON 5.61

$1.15 Ft 371

3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$1.79 Ft 578

-63.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.75

$2.49 Ft 804

-42.57%

Eggs

$2.89 RON 13.65

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 RON 35.72

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-31.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 RON 27.05

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-13.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 RON 40.85

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-41.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 RON 5.05

$1.83 Ft 591

-41.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 RON 7.15

$2.05 Ft 661

-26.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.71

$2.37 Ft 765

-40.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 RON 8.30

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-55.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.39

$0.99 Ft 320

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.16

$1.00 Ft 322

-12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.17

$1.58 Ft 511

-44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RON 3.41

$0.67 Ft 216

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.62 RON 26.58

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-29.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.34 RON 25.25

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-14.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.59

$1.27 Ft 411

-23.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.61

$2.03 Ft 654

-41.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.62

$1.52 Ft 490

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.67 RON 103

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-22.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.13

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-80.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 3.04

$1.37 Ft 442

-53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 RON 33.30

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-64.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 8.22

$1.82 Ft 589

-4.40%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-5.59%

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

$25.1K RON 118.6K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-25.85%

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

$146 RON 691

$171 Ft 55.3K

-14.69%

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

$6.96 RON 32.93

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-70.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.80 RON 36.88

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-66.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 RON 176

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-45.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.05 RON 94.9

$18.89 Ft 6,104

6.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 RON 30.40

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-30.97%

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

$295 RON 1,397

$533 Ft 172.3K

-44.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,901 RON 23.2K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-70.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 RON 456

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-3.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.51 RON 121

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-41.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 RON 290

$110 Ft 35.7K

-44.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 RON 274

$119 Ft 38.4K

-51.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 RON 1,008

$830 Ft 268.3K

-74.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 RON 745

$622 Ft 200.9K

-74.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 RON 2,863

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-62.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 RON 2,146

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-61.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,862 RON 8,812

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-68.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 RON 6,413

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-65.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 RON 3,880

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-50.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.45

11.63%

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

Last update for Roman: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Roman

$176 20.9%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 46.9% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roman

$161 19.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 35.6% $57

Eating Out

Roman

$159 18.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 40.4% $64

Accommodation & Living

Roman

$157 18.7%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 295% $465

Clothing & Footwear

Roman

$109 12.9%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 54.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Roman

$50 6%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 72.4% $36

Getting Around

Roman

$29 3.4%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 54.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Roman 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 101% 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 $34.00 in Roman versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $258 – making Roman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Roman

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h behind Roman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,328

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 20, 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 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Roman Budapest 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Roman
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

Roman vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,259 per month in Roman 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 Roman, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Roman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $295 per month in Roman 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 Roman, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Roman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Roman – 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 Roman. 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.