Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ungheni and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Ungheni: $652 a month against $1,619 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Ungheni
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Ungheni Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ungheni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$652

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $652 per month in Ungheni vs $1,619 in Budapest, rent included.

Ungheni $652
Budapest $1,619

A couple spends around $1,019 per month in Ungheni vs $2,524 in Budapest, rent included.

Ungheni $1,019
Budapest $2,524

A family of three spends $1,385 per month in Ungheni vs $3,429 in Budapest, rent included.

Ungheni $1,385
Budapest $3,429

Ungheni is about 60% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ungheni sits 52% below the global median, while Budapest is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 MDL 133

$13.94 Ft 4,503

-46.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.20 MDL 394

$61.2 Ft 19.8K

-63.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.57 MDL 117

$10.19 Ft 3,291

-35.53%

Cappuccino

$1.42 MDL 25.24

$3.26 Ft 1,055

-56.44%

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

$0.70 MDL 12.36

$2.14 Ft 690

-67.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MDL 7.79

$1.78 Ft 577

-75.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 MDL 17.59

$3.71 Ft 1,198

-73.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 25.24

$3.77 Ft 1,217

-62.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MDL 30.30

$1.15 Ft 371

48.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 MDL 6.27

$1.79 Ft 578

-80.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 MDL 15.51

$2.49 Ft 804

-65.06%

Eggs

$1.89 MDL 33.57

$3.90 Ft 1,261

-51.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 MDL 180

$11.10 Ft 3,587

-8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 MDL 70.9

$6.62 Ft 2,139

-39.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.17 MDL 145

$14.69 Ft 4,745

-44.38%

Apples (1kg)

$0.44 MDL 7.78

$1.83 Ft 591

-75.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 MDL 22.13

$2.05 Ft 661

-39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 MDL 19.25

$2.37 Ft 765

-54.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 MDL 20.18

$3.90 Ft 1,260

-70.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 MDL 8.36

$0.99 Ft 320

-52.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 MDL 6.23

$1.00 Ft 322

-65.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 MDL 39.33

$1.58 Ft 511

39.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MDL 13.61

$0.67 Ft 216

14.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 MDL 59.8

$7.96 Ft 2,572

-57.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.12 MDL 73.2

$6.22 Ft 2,009

-33.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 MDL 25.46

$1.27 Ft 411

12.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 MDL 28.97

$2.03 Ft 654

-19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MDL 6.34

$1.52 Ft 490

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.02 Ft 9,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 MDL 29.17

$3.31 Ft 1,070

-50.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MDL 6.72

$1.37 Ft 442

-72.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 MDL 66.0

$19.83 Ft 6,406

-81.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MDL 24.13

$1.82 Ft 589

-25.27%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

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

$20.2K MDL 358.3K

$33.8K Ft 10.9M

-40.34%

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

$136 MDL 2,422

$171 Ft 55.3K

-20.32%

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

$11.08 MDL 197

$23.51 Ft 7,596

-52.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.88 MDL 282

$23.29 Ft 7,526

-31.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.19 MDL 252

$67.5 Ft 21.8K

-78.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 Ft 6,104

Cinema Ticket

$3.88 MDL 69.0

$9.30 Ft 3,004

-58.28%

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

$533 Ft 172.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.80 MDL 849

$99.6 Ft 32.2K

-52.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.72 MDL 297

$43.49 Ft 14.0K

-61.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.18 MDL 607

$110 Ft 35.7K

-69.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MDL 1,213

$119 Ft 38.4K

-42.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 MDL 4,449

$830 Ft 268.3K

-69.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 MDL 2,003

$622 Ft 200.9K

-81.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 MDL 5,909

$1,594 Ft 514.9K

-79.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 MDL 4,914

$1,170 Ft 378.1K

-76.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,280 MDL 40.5K

$5,832 Ft 1.9M

-60.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,706 MDL 30.3K

$3,889 Ft 1.3M

-56.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$552 MDL 9,805

$1,651 Ft 533.4K

-66.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

24.03%

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

Last update for Ungheni: October 11, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ungheni

$165 25.3%

Budapest

$258 15.9% 56.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ungheni

$163 25%

Budapest

$218 13.5% 33.4% $55

Accommodation & Living

Ungheni

$113 17.3%

Budapest

$622 38.4% 451% $509

Eating Out

Ungheni

$109 16.7%

Budapest

$223 13.8% 105% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Ungheni

$75 11.5%

Budapest

$168 10.4% 123% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Ungheni

$22 3.4%

Budapest

$86 5.3% 292% $64

Getting Around

Ungheni

$5 * 0.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 792% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Ungheni 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 199% 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 $22.00 in Ungheni versus $61.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $165 vs $258 – making Ungheni the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Ungheni

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

18:05 6:05 PM

1 h behind Ungheni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

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).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ungheni Budapest 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ungheni
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

Ungheni vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $978 per month in Ungheni 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 Ungheni, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Ungheni and $61.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ungheni, where all-in costs run around $652, than in Budapest at $1,619. In Ungheni it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ungheni – 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 Ungheni. 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.