Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szombathely and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Szombathely: $1,231 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bucharest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Szombathely
Learn more

Szombathely Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Szombathely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,231

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,231 in Szombathely versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Szombathely $1,231
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,949 in Szombathely versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Szombathely $1,949
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,666 in Szombathely versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Szombathely $2,666
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Szombathely costs roughly 8% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Szombathely 9% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.55 Ft 3,745

$14.49 RON 68.9

-20.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.4 Ft 17.3K

$58.1 RON 276

-8.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 Ft 2,882

$7.48 RON 35.60

18.85%

Cappuccino

$2.37 Ft 767

$3.44 RON 16.38

-31.10%

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

$1.35 Ft 437

$2.37 RON 11.28

-43.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 415

$2.30 RON 10.94

-44.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 Ft 558

$3.70 RON 17.60

-53.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 Ft 753

$4.16 RON 19.80

-44.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 Ft 391

$1.67 RON 7.94

-27.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 Ft 510

$1.37 RON 6.53

14.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 767

$1.72 RON 8.18

37.79%

Eggs

$3.14 Ft 1,019

$3.64 RON 17.31

-13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 Ft 3,367

$9.08 RON 43.21

14.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 Ft 2,123

$6.84 RON 32.52

-4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 Ft 5,181

$12.00 RON 57.1

33.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 Ft 720

$1.23 RON 5.83

80.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 661

$1.63 RON 7.77

25.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 Ft 817

$1.57 RON 7.49

60.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 Ft 1,095

$2.54 RON 12.08

33.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 Ft 351

$0.79 RON 3.77

36.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 Ft 452

$0.77 RON 3.68

80.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 Ft 608

$0.87 RON 4.15

116.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 176

$0.99 RON 4.73

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.82 Ft 2,858

$6.31 RON 30.02

39.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 Ft 1,470

$6.20 RON 29.51

-26.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Ft 392

$1.19 RON 5.66

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 Ft 850

$1.57 RON 7.49

66.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 Ft 286

$0.86 RON 4.10

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.09 Ft 8,782

$21.10 RON 100

28.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 Ft 870

$0.64 RON 3.06

318.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 443

$0.60 RON 2.87

128.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.64 Ft 7,662

$6.43 RON 30.60

267.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 599

$1.96 RON 9.31

-5.61%

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

$28.8K Ft 9.3M

$29.0K RON 138.0K

-0.64%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$26.6K RON 126.7K

25.35%

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

$168 Ft 54.6K

$196 RON 932

-14.02%

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

$20.42 Ft 6,620

$8.04 RON 38.25

153.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.92 Ft 6,782

$9.35 RON 44.46

123.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.96 Ft 15.2K

$50.2 RON 239

-6.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.68 Ft 6,703

$25.33 RON 121

-18.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 Ft 1,508

$8.15 RON 38.76

-42.94%

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

$423 Ft 137.0K

$628 RON 2,988

-32.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,637 Ft 2.5M

$14.1K RON 67.0K

-45.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 Ft 33.2K

$89.6 RON 426

14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 Ft 16.3K

$38.32 RON 182

31.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 Ft 31.4K

$79.3 RON 377

22.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Ft 36.0K

$90.4 RON 430

22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 Ft 174.2K

$678 RON 3,227

-20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 Ft 109.9K

$448 RON 2,133

-24.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 Ft 244.4K

$1,083 RON 5,153

-30.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 Ft 209.2K

$725 RON 3,449

-10.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,402 Ft 778.5K

$3,751 RON 17.8K

-35.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,980 Ft 641.9K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-9.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,175 Ft 381.0K

$1,329 RON 6,324

-11.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.75

11.11%

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

Last update for Szombathely: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szombathely

$339 27.5%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 32.3% $109

Groceries & Markets

Szombathely

$252 20.5%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 10.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szombathely

$210 17%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 1.7% $3.5

Eating Out

Szombathely

$171 13.9%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 31.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Szombathely

$162 13.2%

Bucharest

$134 10% 17.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Szombathely

$56 4.6%

Bucharest

$67 5% 18.2% $10

Getting Around

Szombathely

$40 3.3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 29.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $538 in Szombathely and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 13% 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: $53.0 in Szombathely vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $225, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szombathely

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

19:30 7:30 PM

1 h ahead of Szombathely

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,757

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Szombathely Bucharest 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Szombathely
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

Szombathely vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szombathely and Bucharest differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,231 vs $1,340 including rent). Szombathely is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% 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: $538 in Szombathely versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,231 per month in Szombathely versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $1,231 in Szombathely versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szombathely but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Szombathely 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, Szombathely 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 Szombathely gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.