Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Slatina and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Slatina: $801 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Slatina
🇷🇴 Romania
$801
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $801 per month in Slatina vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Slatina $801
  • Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,250 per month in Slatina vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Slatina $1,250
  • Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,699 per month in Slatina vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Slatina $1,699
  • Budapest $3,429

Slatina is about 51% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Slatina sits 41% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.24 RON 53.2
$13.94 Ft 4,503
-19.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.83 RON 146
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
-49.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.37 RON 34.89
$10.19 Ft 3,291
-27.67%
Cappuccino
$2.49 RON 11.77
$3.26 Ft 1,055
-23.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 RON 9.79
$2.14 Ft 690
-3.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 RON 7.80
$1.78 Ft 577
-7.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.64 RON 7.74
$3.71 Ft 1,198
-55.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 RON 9.87
$3.77 Ft 1,217
-44.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 RON 7.09
$1.15 Ft 371
30.43%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 RON 3.81
$1.79 Ft 578
-55.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 RON 8.36
$2.49 Ft 804
-28.92%
Eggs
$2.56 RON 12.10
$3.90 Ft 1,261
-34.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.09 RON 42.99
$11.10 Ft 3,587
-18.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 RON 18.75
$6.62 Ft 2,139
-40.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.85 RON 27.68
$14.69 Ft 4,745
-60.18%
Apples (1kg)
$0.88 RON 4.16
$1.83 Ft 591
-51.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 RON 7.14
$2.05 Ft 661
-26.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 RON 7.84
$2.37 Ft 765
-29.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 RON 5.41
$3.90 Ft 1,260
-70.77%
Potato (1kg)
$0.78 RON 3.67
$0.99 Ft 320
-21.21%
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 RON 3.84
$1.00 Ft 322
-19.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 RON 4.30
$1.58 Ft 511
-42.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 RON 2.88
$0.67 Ft 216
-8.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.23 RON 24.73
$7.96 Ft 2,572
-34.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.19 RON 15.10
$6.22 Ft 2,009
-48.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 RON 5.59
$1.27 Ft 411
-7.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 RON 8.83
$2.03 Ft 654
-7.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.71 RON 3.34
$1.52 Ft 490
-53.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.36 RON 101
$28.02 Ft 9,053
-23.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.62 RON 2.93
$3.31 Ft 1,070
-81.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.66 RON 3.14
$1.37 Ft 442
-51.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.69 RON 31.64
$19.83 Ft 6,406
-66.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 RON 6.77
$1.82 Ft 589
-21.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K RON 132.8K
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
-5.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K RON 121.1K
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
-24.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 RON 490
$171 Ft 55.3K
-39.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.71 RON 8.07
$23.51 Ft 7,596
-92.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.15 RON 43.31
$23.29 Ft 7,526
-60.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.37 RON 182
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
-43.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.94 RON 94.3
$18.89 Ft 6,104
5.56%
Cinema Ticket
$9.43 RON 44.63
$9.30 Ft 3,004
1.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$446 RON 2,109
$533 Ft 172.3K
-16.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,011 RON 33.2K
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
-58.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.0 RON 241
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
-48.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.73 RON 150
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
-27.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.2 RON 323
$110 Ft 35.7K
-38.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.0 RON 345
$119 Ft 38.4K
-38.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$211 RON 996
$830 Ft 268.3K
-74.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$169 RON 801
$622 Ft 200.9K
-72.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$353 RON 1,671
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
-77.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$293 RON 1,387
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
-74.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,812 RON 8,573
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
-68.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,367 RON 6,466
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
-64.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Slatina
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$888 RON 4,203
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
-46.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.07
6.45
9.61%

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

Last update for Slatina: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Slatina
$169
Budapest
$622 267% $453
Eating Out
Slatina
$169
Budapest
$223 31.9% $54
Groceries & Markets
Slatina
$162
Budapest
$258 59.5% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Slatina
$114
Budapest
$218 90.4% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Slatina
$101
Budapest
$168 66.3% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Slatina
$57
Budapest
$86 50.5% $29
Getting Around
Slatina
$28
Budapest
$44 57.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $211 in Slatina 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 86% 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 $31.00 in Slatina versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $258 – making Slatina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Slatina
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
00:27 12:27 AM
23:27 11:27 PM
1 h behind Slatina
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,293
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Slatina Budapest 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Slatina
  • 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
Slatina vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Budapest cheaper than Slatina?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,201 per month in Slatina and $2,428 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Slatina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 31% less in Slatina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $446 per month in Slatina and $533 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Slatina or in Budapest?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Slatina, where all-in costs run around $801, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Slatina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Slatina or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Slatina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Slatina or Budapest?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Slatina. 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.

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