Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Frumos and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Frumos: $998 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Targu Frumos
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Targu Frumos Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Targu Frumos

🇷🇴 Romania

$998

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $998 per month in Targu Frumos vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Targu Frumos $998
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,521 per month in Targu Frumos vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Targu Frumos $1,521
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,043 per month in Targu Frumos vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Targu Frumos $2,043
Budapest $3,429

Targu Frumos is about 38% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Targu Frumos sits 26% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.68 RON 50.5

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-23.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.45 RON 201

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-30.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 RON 34.12

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-29.24%

Cappuccino

$2.42 RON 11.46

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-25.77%

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

$2.08 RON 9.86

$2.14 Ft 690

-2.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 RON 8.87

$1.78 Ft 577

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 RON 9.68

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-44.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 RON 15.06

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-15.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 RON 5.56

$1.15 Ft 371

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 RON 3.32

$1.79 Ft 578

-60.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.48

$2.49 Ft 804

-28.11%

Eggs

$3.41 RON 16.11

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 RON 35.53

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-32.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 RON 28.09

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 RON 40.65

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-41.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 RON 6.07

$1.83 Ft 591

-30.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.52

$2.05 Ft 661

-22.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.11

$2.37 Ft 765

-36.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 RON 8.35

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-54.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.49

$0.99 Ft 320

-4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.75

$1.00 Ft 322

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$1.58 Ft 511

-49.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 RON 3.47

$0.67 Ft 216

8.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 RON 26.49

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-29.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.29 RON 25.05

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-14.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 RON 4.73

$1.27 Ft 411

-21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.61

$2.03 Ft 654

-41.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 RON 3.67

$1.52 Ft 490

-49.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.57 RON 102

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-23.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-80.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 3.02

$1.37 Ft 442

-53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 RON 33.52

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-64.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$1.82 Ft 589

-0.55%

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

$28.6K RON 135.2K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-4.08%

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

$24.6K RON 116.5K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-27.16%

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

$146 RON 693

$171 Ft 55.3K

-14.41%

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

$7.75 RON 36.67

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-67.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.69 RON 36.37

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-66.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.18 RON 181

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-43.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 RON 95.3

$18.89 Ft 6,104

6.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 RON 29.48

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-33.01%

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

$603 RON 2,852

$533 Ft 172.3K

13.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,996 RON 23.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-70.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 RON 451

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.26 RON 153

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 RON 289

$110 Ft 35.7K

-44.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 RON 399

$119 Ft 38.4K

-29.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 RON 1,795

$830 Ft 268.3K

-54.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 RON 1,337

$622 Ft 200.9K

-54.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 RON 2,848

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 RON 2,073

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-62.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,837 RON 8,691

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-68.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,368 RON 6,472

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-64.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

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 Targu Frumos: October 12, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Targu Frumos

$283 28.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 120% $339

Groceries & Markets

Targu Frumos

$183 18.4%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 40.8% $75

Eating Out

Targu Frumos

$169 16.9%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 32.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Frumos

$162 16.2%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 34.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Frumos

$123 12.3%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 36.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Frumos

$51 5.1%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 70.1% $35

Getting Around

Targu Frumos

$29 2.9%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 55.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $379 in Targu Frumos 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Targu Frumos versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $258 – making Targu Frumos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Frumos

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

10:38 10:38 AM

1 h behind Targu Frumos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,875

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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Between locations

Targu Frumos Budapest 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Targu Frumos
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

Targu Frumos vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,497 per month in Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Targu Frumos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos, where all-in costs run around $998, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Targu Frumos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Targu Frumos – 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 Targu Frumos. 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.