Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szekszard and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Szekszard: $1,184 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Szekszard
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Szekszard Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Szekszard

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,184

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Szekszard and in Bucharest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Szekszard and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,184 in Szekszard versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Szekszard $1,184
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,818 in Szekszard versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Szekszard $1,818
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,452 in Szekszard versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Szekszard $2,452
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Szekszard costs roughly 12% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Szekszard 12% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 Ft 3,986

$14.49 RON 68.6

-14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.10 Ft 14.9K

$58.1 RON 275

-20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 Ft 2,938

$7.48 RON 35.40

21.52%

Cappuccino

$1.51 Ft 489

$3.44 RON 16.29

-56.10%

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

$1.92 Ft 620

$2.37 RON 11.22

-18.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 Ft 371

$2.30 RON 10.88

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 Ft 976

$3.70 RON 17.51

-18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Ft 889

$4.16 RON 19.69

-33.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 366

$1.67 RON 7.90

-32.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 Ft 448

$1.37 RON 6.50

1.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 761

$1.72 RON 8.14

37.21%

Eggs

$3.14 Ft 1,014

$3.64 RON 17.22

-13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 Ft 3,542

$9.08 RON 42.98

20.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 Ft 2,075

$6.84 RON 32.35

-6.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 Ft 4,420

$12.00 RON 56.8

14.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 Ft 534

$1.23 RON 5.80

34.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 Ft 636

$1.63 RON 7.73

20.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 Ft 628

$1.57 RON 7.45

23.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 Ft 866

$2.54 RON 12.01

5.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 Ft 338

$0.79 RON 3.75

32.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 Ft 419

$0.77 RON 3.66

68.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 Ft 544

$0.87 RON 4.13

93.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 Ft 153

$0.99 RON 4.70

-52.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.74 Ft 2,502

$6.31 RON 29.86

22.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 Ft 1,944

$6.20 RON 29.34

-2.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 Ft 366

$1.19 RON 5.63

-5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 Ft 489

$1.57 RON 7.45

-3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 Ft 390

$0.86 RON 4.08

40.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 Ft 8,703

$21.10 RON 99.8

27.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 Ft 1,018

$0.64 RON 3.05

392.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 Ft 485

$0.60 RON 2.86

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.22 Ft 5,886

$6.43 RON 30.43

183.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 Ft 590

$1.96 RON 9.25

-6.63%

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

$32.7K Ft 10.6M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

12.65%

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

$33.5K Ft 10.8M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

25.65%

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

$120 Ft 38.9K

$196 RON 927

-38.56%

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

$18.05 Ft 5,833

$8.04 RON 38.04

124.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.16 Ft 7,482

$9.35 RON 44.21

147.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.14 Ft 15.2K

$50.2 RON 238

-6.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 Ft 5,935

$25.33 RON 120

-27.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 Ft 2,419

$8.15 RON 38.55

-8.10%

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

$252 Ft 81.5K

$628 RON 2,971

-59.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,566 Ft 2.8M

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-39.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 Ft 20.0K

$89.6 RON 424

-31.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.55 Ft 7,932

$38.32 RON 181

-35.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 Ft 29.6K

$79.3 RON 375

15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Ft 24.7K

$90.4 RON 428

-15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 Ft 169.3K

$678 RON 3,209

-22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 Ft 126.9K

$448 RON 2,121

-12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 Ft 243.1K

$1,083 RON 5,125

-30.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 Ft 209.9K

$725 RON 3,430

-10.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 Ft 511.7K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-57.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 Ft 388.9K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-45.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 Ft 296.8K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-30.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

6.75

22.22%

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

Last update for Szekszard: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szekszard

$393 33.2%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 14.2% $56

Groceries & Markets

Szekszard

$233 19.7%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 3.6% $8.3

Eating Out

Szekszard

$177 15%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 27.2% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szekszard

$162 13.7%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 32% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Szekszard

$114 9.7%

Bucharest

$134 10% 17% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Szekszard

$62 5.3%

Bucharest

$67 5% 7.1% $4.4

Getting Around

Szekszard

$42 3.6%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 33.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $524 in Szekszard and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Szekszard vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $225, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szekszard

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

22:23 10:23 PM

1 h ahead of Szekszard

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,707

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

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).

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).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Szekszard Bucharest 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Szekszard
Bucharest

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

Szekszard vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szekszard and Bucharest differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,184 vs $1,340 including rent). Szekszard is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Bucharest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $524 in Szekszard versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,184 per month in Szekszard versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Szekszard runs roughly 28% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,184 in Szekszard versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Szekszard but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Szekszard the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Szekszard and Bucharest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Szekszard gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.