Bucharest vs Budapest - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Budapest
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1138
$1469
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2971
$3612
🏠 One person rent
$535
$750
🏘️ Family rent
$931
$1301
🍽️ Food expenses
$389
$441
🚐 Transport expenses
$84.2
$126
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1467
$1697
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
78
92
😀 Quality of life
84
81
🏙️ Population
1.72M
1.69M

The cost of living in Bucharest is 23% less expensive than in Budapest. Cities ranked 4935th and 4163rd ($1138 vs $1469) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 1st in Romania and Hungary, respectively. Check Romania vs Hungary comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.3 months in Bucharest compared to 1.2 months in Budapest. Bucharest ranked 1st best city to live in Romania vs Budapest ranked 1st in Hungary, while ranked 508th and 680th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Share this infographic!

Prices in Bucharest vs Budapest

Prices for goods and services in Bucharest and Budapest are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Bucharest Budapest
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$11.9
$12.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$57.2
$63.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.13
$9.41
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.53
$3.22
☕ Cappuccino
$3.56
$3.25
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.41
$1.97
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$586
$772
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$385
$593
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1055
$1424
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$699
$1053
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$99.4
$98.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$151
$151
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$10.4
$22.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
7.13%
6.95%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4123
$5742
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2286
$3887
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.96
$1.55
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.9
$27.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.84
$14.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.76
$1.82
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.66
$1.25
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.08
$1.79
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$2.32
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.75
$3.72
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$11.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.76
$7.4
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.7
$14.7
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.38
$2.31
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$2.21
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$2.37
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.49
$3.41
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.87
$1.09
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.91
$1.22
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.62
$0.39
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.33
$2.8
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$7.76
$5.89
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.22
$1.27
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.73
$7.85
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$7.02
$13.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.79
$4.31
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.77
$2.62
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.11
$3.2
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$48.8
$69.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.67
$9.7
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$69.3
$76.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.2
$15.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$86.8
$107
👟 Brand Sneakers
$101
$112
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$769
$486
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$16525
$15168

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Bucharest

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 8.3 mi Voluntari
$999
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$956
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$926
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$784
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$800
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$724
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$831
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$758
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$777
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$970
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$695
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$666
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$1150
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$759
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$826
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$704
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$732
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$805
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$910
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$871
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$983
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$665
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$950
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$607
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$1099
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$1062
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$1132
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$644
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$840
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$716
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$916
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$844
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$864
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$841
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$738
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$872
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$763
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$773
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$683
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$795

Cities near Budapest

Distance City Cost of living
8.2 km or 5.1 mi Budafok-Teteny
$1169
16 km or 9.8 mi Erd
$998
16 km or 10 mi Dunakeszi
$1138
17 km or 11 mi Szigetszentmiklos
$1083
27 km or 17 mi Godollo
$1127
32 km or 20 mi Vac
$1130
49 km or 31 mi Tatabanya
$991
58 km or 36 mi Szekesfehervar
$939
58 km or 36 mi Dunaujvaros
$868
67 km or 42 mi Cegled
$1074
74 km or 46 mi Komarno
$1196
82 km or 51 mi Kecskemet
$958
84 km or 52 mi Nove Zamky
$1166
86 km or 53 mi Salgotarjan
$1040
86 km or 53 mi Levice
$989
93 km or 58 mi Szolnok
$877
96 km or 59 mi Veszprem
$1036
104 km or 65 mi Lucenec
$1063
107 km or 67 mi Gyor
$930
109 km or 68 mi Eger
$976
115 km or 72 mi Nitra
$1278
121 km or 75 mi Zvolen
$1394
123 km or 76 mi Ozd
$1002
130 km or 81 mi Szekszard
$961
138 km or 86 mi Banska Bystrica
$1190
139 km or 86 mi Mosonmagyarovar
$984
145 km or 90 mi Prievidza
$1026
146 km or 91 mi Trnava
$1335
146 km or 91 mi Miskolc
$981
146 km or 91 mi Baja
$1031
150 km or 93 mi Piestany
$1036
153 km or 95 mi Hodmezovasarhely
$866
158 km or 98 mi Kaposvar
$850
160 km or 99 mi Petrzalka
$1451
161 km or 100 mi Bratislava
$1561
163 km or 101 mi Subotica
$923
163 km or 101 mi Szeged
$1004
170 km or 106 mi Pecs
$1124
172 km or 107 mi Trencin
$1291
174 km or 108 mi Martin
$1196