Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibiu: $1,100 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Sibiu
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Sibiu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Sibiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,100

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,100 per month in Sibiu vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Sibiu $1,100
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,661 per month in Sibiu vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Sibiu $1,661
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,223 per month in Sibiu vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Sibiu $2,223
Budapest $3,489

Sibiu is about 32% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sibiu sits 18% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 RON 38.60

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-41.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.87 RON 198

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-30.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 RON 35.04

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-25.60%

Cappuccino

$3.19 RON 15.08

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-5.62%

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

$2.13 RON 10.06

$2.13 Ft 692

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 RON 8.26

$1.87 Ft 608

-6.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 15.13

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-14.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 RON 18.95

$3.57 Ft 1,162

12.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 RON 6.44

$1.13 Ft 368

20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 RON 5.14

$1.84 Ft 599

-40.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 RON 6.34

$2.39 Ft 777

-43.93%

Eggs

$3.39 RON 16.02

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.66 RON 36.23

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-32.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 RON 27.57

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-13.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 RON 36.44

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-47.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 RON 5.50

$1.84 Ft 597

-36.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.09

$2.01 Ft 653

-25.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 RON 7.13

$2.36 Ft 767

-36.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 RON 11.98

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-32.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$0.96 Ft 313

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RON 3.06

$1.03 Ft 334

-36.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 RON 4.71

$1.56 Ft 509

-35.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.40

$0.66 Ft 216

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 RON 27.80

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-26.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 RON 34.12

$6.01 Ft 1,954

19.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.55

$1.30 Ft 421

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 6.36

$2.08 Ft 676

-35.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.41

$1.50 Ft 489

-52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.22 RON 81.4

$27.61 Ft 8,982

-37.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 RON 4.55

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-70.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.87

$1.30 Ft 424

-36.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 RON 40.38

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-56.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 RON 9.24

$1.81 Ft 591

7.73%

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

$28.1K RON 132.7K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-4.30%

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

$25.7K RON 121.4K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-24.77%

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

$115 RON 545

$170 Ft 55.3K

-32.19%

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

$8.92 RON 42.19

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-62.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.41 RON 58.7

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-47.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.40 RON 167

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 RON 66.6

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-26.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 RON 31.36

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-30.36%

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

$449 RON 2,123

$537 Ft 174.6K

-16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 RON 31.4K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-60.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 RON 356

$101 Ft 33.0K

-25.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 RON 152

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-25.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 RON 414

$113 Ft 36.7K

-22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 RON 416

$119 Ft 38.6K

-25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 RON 2,091

$805 Ft 262.0K

-45.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 RON 1,942

$629 Ft 204.7K

-34.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 RON 3,931

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-46.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 RON 2,790

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-49.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,519 RON 11.9K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-55.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 RON 9,669

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-48.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 RON 5,312

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-30.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.02

6.43

9.18%

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

Last update for Sibiu: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sibiu

$411 37.1%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 53.2% $219

Groceries & Markets

Sibiu

$192 17.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 33.8% $65

Eating Out

Sibiu

$165 14.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 35.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibiu

$137 12.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 59.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Sibiu

$127 11.5%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 32.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Sibiu

$49 4.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 75.3% $37

Getting Around

Sibiu

$25 2.3%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 72.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $442 in Sibiu 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 45% 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 Sibiu versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $258 – making Sibiu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Sibiu

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

12:41 12:41 PM

1 h behind Sibiu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,245

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

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Sibiu Budapest 430 km

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Sibiu
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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

Sibiu vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,649 per month in Sibiu 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 Sibiu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Sibiu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Sibiu and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sibiu, where all-in costs run around $1,100, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Sibiu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sibiu – 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 Sibiu. 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.