Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timisoara and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Timisoara: $1,155 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
Learn more

Timisoara Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,155

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,155 per month in Timisoara vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Timisoara $1,155
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,763 per month in Timisoara vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Timisoara $1,763
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,371 per month in Timisoara vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Timisoara $2,371
Budapest $3,489

Timisoara is about 29% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Timisoara sits 14% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 RON 50.8

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-23.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 RON 225

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-21.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 RON 40.91

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-13.86%

Cappuccino

$2.98 RON 14.20

$3.38 Ft 1,102

-11.83%

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

$2.13 RON 10.17

$2.13 Ft 693

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.74

$1.87 Ft 609

-13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 RON 12.75

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 RON 20.14

$3.57 Ft 1,163

18.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 RON 6.56

$1.13 Ft 369

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.76

$1.84 Ft 600

-34.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 RON 6.26

$2.39 Ft 777

-45.19%

Eggs

$2.97 RON 14.18

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-22.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 RON 41.13

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-23.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 RON 29.14

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-9.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 RON 52.4

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-25.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 RON 5.39

$1.84 Ft 598

-38.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.96

$2.01 Ft 654

-27.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.93

$2.36 Ft 767

-38.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 RON 11.35

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-36.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.76

$0.96 Ft 314

-17.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.65

$1.03 Ft 335

-4.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 RON 3.11

$1.56 Ft 509

-58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 RON 3.47

$0.66 Ft 216

10.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 RON 29.18

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-23.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.23 RON 34.47

$6.01 Ft 1,956

20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.38

$1.30 Ft 422

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 8.13

$2.08 Ft 677

-17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 RON 5.05

$1.50 Ft 490

-29.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.86 RON 161

$27.61 Ft 8,991

22.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 RON 3.90

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-75.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.90

$1.30 Ft 424

-36.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 RON 39.67

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-57.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.25

$1.81 Ft 591

7.18%

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

$28.6K RON 136.2K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-2.55%

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

$24.3K RON 115.6K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-28.86%

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

$168 RON 801

$170 Ft 55.3K

-1.10%

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

$6.72 RON 32.01

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-71.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.34 RON 39.74

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-64.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 RON 184

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-41.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.17 RON 77.0

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-15.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.94 RON 37.82

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-16.60%

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

$598 RON 2,852

$537 Ft 174.8K

11.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,769 RON 41.8K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-47.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 RON 358

$101 Ft 33.0K

-25.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 RON 187

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 RON 360

$113 Ft 36.7K

-33.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 431

$119 Ft 38.7K

-23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 RON 2,608

$805 Ft 262.2K

-32.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 RON 1,717

$629 Ft 204.9K

-42.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 RON 4,005

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-45.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 RON 2,911

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-47.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,495 RON 11.9K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-55.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,863 RON 8,880

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-53.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,183 RON 5,639

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-27.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.88

6.43

7.00%

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

Last update for Timisoara: 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

Timisoara

$360 31.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 74.7% $269

Groceries & Markets

Timisoara

$204 17.7%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 26.4% $54

Eating Out

Timisoara

$184 15.9%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 22.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timisoara

$183 15.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 18.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Timisoara

$126 10.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 34.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Timisoara

$55 4.7%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 56.4% $31

Getting Around

Timisoara

$43 3.7%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 1% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $547 in Timisoara 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 37% 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 $47.00 in Timisoara versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $258 – making Timisoara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

03:52 3:52 AM

1 h behind Timisoara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,279

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Timisoara Budapest 260 km

From you

Timisoara
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

Timisoara vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,733 per month in Timisoara 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 Timisoara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Timisoara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $598 per month in Timisoara and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Timisoara, where all-in costs run around $1,155, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Timisoara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Timisoara – 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 Timisoara. 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.