Bucharest vs Budapest - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Budapest
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1148
$1580
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2906
$3914
🏠 One person rent
$562
$810
🏘️ Family rent
$953
$1423
🍽️ Food expenses
$380
$474
🚐 Transport expenses
$81.3
$133
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1455
$1832
😷 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 27% less expensive than in Budapest. Cities ranked 4877th and 3675th ($1148 vs $1580) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd 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 482nd and 646th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Share this picture

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
$11.6
$13.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$53.8
$67.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.12
$9.83
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.49
$3.67
☕ Cappuccino
$3.67
$3.6
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.58
$2.11
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$600
$839
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$404
$633
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1100
$1498
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$694
$1160
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$110
$111
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$169
$170
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$9.73
$25.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.95%
6.8%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3876
$6164
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2257
$4452
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.89
$1.64
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$20.9
$29.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.32
$15.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.89
$1.93
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.75
$1.3
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.03
$1.88
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.28
$2.65
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.78
$4.14
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.51
$12.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.56
$7.46
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.3
$15.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$2.25
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.67
$2.29
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.6
$2.57
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.53
$3.78
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.78
$1.14
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.8
$1.14
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.64
$0.43
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.66
$2.86
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$7.48
$5.94
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.25
$1.35
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.39
$8.37
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.99
$15.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.53
$4.48
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.88
$2.71
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.95
$3.32
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$46.2
$74.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.26
$10.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$66.5
$79
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.1
$15.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$84.4
$117
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.5
$122
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$703
$549
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14018
$17067

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
$995
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$920
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$896
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$800
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$776
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$708
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$801
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$722
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$771
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$1018
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$653
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$672
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$1120
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$762
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$801
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$705
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$701
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$804
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$857
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$870
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$953
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$662
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$906
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$610
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$1140
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$1041
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$1119
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$676
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$818
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$733
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$874
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$824
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$823
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$809
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$702
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$855
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$749
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$807
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$673
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$725

Cities near Budapest

Distance City Cost of living
8.2 km or 5.1 mi Budafok-Teteny
$1228
16 km or 9.8 mi Erd
$973
16 km or 10 mi Dunakeszi
$1226
17 km or 11 mi Szigetszentmiklos
$1115
27 km or 17 mi Godollo
$1203
32 km or 20 mi Vac
$1195
49 km or 31 mi Tatabanya
$1063
58 km or 36 mi Szekesfehervar
$981
58 km or 36 mi Dunaujvaros
$914
67 km or 42 mi Cegled
$1139
74 km or 46 mi Komarno
$1156
82 km or 51 mi Kecskemet
$1019
84 km or 52 mi Nove Zamky
$1126
86 km or 53 mi Salgotarjan
$1117
86 km or 53 mi Levice
$928
93 km or 58 mi Szolnok
$941
96 km or 59 mi Veszprem
$1124
104 km or 65 mi Lucenec
$1031
107 km or 67 mi Gyor
$974
109 km or 68 mi Eger
$1028
115 km or 72 mi Nitra
$1218
121 km or 75 mi Zvolen
$1340
123 km or 76 mi Ozd
$1058
130 km or 81 mi Szekszard
$978
138 km or 86 mi Banska Bystrica
$1117
139 km or 86 mi Mosonmagyarovar
$1042
145 km or 90 mi Prievidza
$1032
146 km or 91 mi Trnava
$1308
146 km or 91 mi Miskolc
$1034
146 km or 91 mi Baja
$1067
150 km or 93 mi Piestany
$967
153 km or 95 mi Hodmezovasarhely
$915
158 km or 98 mi Kaposvar
$893
160 km or 99 mi Petrzalka
$1475
161 km or 100 mi Bratislava
$1590
163 km or 101 mi Subotica
$848
163 km or 101 mi Szeged
$1076
170 km or 106 mi Pecs
$1189
172 km or 107 mi Trencin
$1255
174 km or 108 mi Martin
$1160