Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcea and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcea: $983 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Tulcea
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Tulcea Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Tulcea

🇷🇴 Romania

$983

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $983 per month in Tulcea vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Tulcea $983
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,558 per month in Tulcea vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Tulcea $1,558
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $2,132 per month in Tulcea vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Tulcea $2,132
Budapest $3,429

Tulcea is about 39% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tulcea sits 27% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 54.3

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-17.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.41 RON 220

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-24.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 RON 35.90

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-25.52%

Cappuccino

$2.06 RON 9.77

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-36.81%

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

$2.12 RON 10.03

$2.14 Ft 690

-0.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 5.12

$1.78 Ft 577

-39.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 RON 10.14

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-42.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 RON 9.82

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-45.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.65

$1.15 Ft 371

40.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RON 4.84

$1.79 Ft 578

-43.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.84

$2.49 Ft 804

-41.77%

Eggs

$3.04 RON 14.40

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 RON 36.20

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 RON 32.48

$6.62 Ft 2,139

3.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 RON 45.06

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-35.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.31

$1.83 Ft 591

-27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.81

$2.05 Ft 661

-19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.74

$2.37 Ft 765

-39.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 RON 9.21

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.50

$0.99 Ft 320

-25.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.36

$1.00 Ft 322

-29.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 RON 3.27

$1.58 Ft 511

-56.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 RON 3.55

$0.67 Ft 216

11.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 RON 29.76

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-20.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 RON 30.09

$6.22 Ft 2,009

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.34

$1.27 Ft 411

-27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 RON 6.53

$2.03 Ft 654

-32.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 RON 5.03

$1.52 Ft 490

-30.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.85 RON 84.5

$28.02 Ft 9,053

-36.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-81.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 3.04

$1.37 Ft 442

-53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 RON 30.51

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-67.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 8.02

$1.82 Ft 589

-7.14%

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

$28.3K RON 133.8K

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

-5.07%

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

$25.0K RON 118.2K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-26.14%

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

$132 RON 625

$171 Ft 55.3K

-22.86%

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

$7.86 RON 37.19

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-66.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.82 RON 41.73

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-62.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.42 RON 149

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-53.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 RON 79.7

$18.89 Ft 6,104

-10.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 RON 40.11

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-8.82%

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

$319 RON 1,510

$533 Ft 172.3K

-40.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,075 RON 14.6K

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-81.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 RON 250

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-46.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.21 RON 148

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-28.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 RON 428

$110 Ft 35.7K

-18.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 RON 455

$119 Ft 38.4K

-19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 RON 1,652

$830 Ft 268.3K

-57.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 RON 1,296

$622 Ft 200.9K

-55.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 RON 2,800

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-62.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 RON 2,374

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-57.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,022 RON 4,836

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-82.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$864 RON 4,089

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-77.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 RON 3,055

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-60.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.45

6.20%

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

Last update for Tulcea: 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

Tulcea

$274 27.9%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 127% $348

Groceries & Markets

Tulcea

$198 20.1%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 30.5% $60

Eating Out

Tulcea

$167 17%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 33.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulcea

$149 15.1%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 46.6% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Tulcea

$122 12.4%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 37.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Tulcea

$48 4.9%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 78% $38

Getting Around

Tulcea

$26 2.6%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 70.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $349 in Tulcea 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 156% 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 $46.00 in Tulcea versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $258 – making Tulcea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Tulcea

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h behind Tulcea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,707

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

Tulcea Budapest 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tulcea
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

Tulcea vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,475 per month in Tulcea 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 Tulcea, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Tulcea. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $319 per month in Tulcea and $533 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 Tulcea, where all-in costs run around $983, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Tulcea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tulcea – 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 Tulcea. 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.