Bucharest vs Budapest - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Budapest
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1116
$1377
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2864
$3353
🏠 One person rent
$525
$707
🏘️ Family rent
$907
$1218
🍽️ Food expenses
$389
$411
🚐 Transport expenses
$80
$120
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1391
$1503
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
77
92
😀 Quality of life
81
82
🏙️ Population
1.72M
1.69M

The cost of living in Bucharest is 19% less expensive than in Budapest. Cities ranked 4913th and 4312th ($1116 vs $1377) 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 1.2 months in Bucharest compared to 1.1 months in Budapest. Bucharest ranked 1st best city to live in Romania vs Budapest ranked 1st in Hungary, while ranked 646th and 636th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Bucharest vs Budapest infographic

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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
$11.7
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$54.8
$55.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.27
$8.58
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.41
$3.18
☕ Cappuccino
$3.45
$3.26
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.33
$1.8
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$576
$735
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$376
$557
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1044
$1332
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$667
$984
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$98.4
$91
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$153
$141
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$10.6
$23.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
7.28%
7.04%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3651
$5141
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2102
$3394
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.15
$1.48
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.3
$27.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.02
$13.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.68
$1.83
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.73
$1.37
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.16
$1.63
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.43
$2.03
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.41
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.89
$12.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.34
$7.36
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.4
$13.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.33
$2.18
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.74
$2.03
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$2.19
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.68
$3.51
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1
$1.27
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.03
$1.32
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.59
$0.38
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.38
$2.58
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.07
$6.95
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.21
$1.31
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.39
$7.03
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.09
$11.7
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.47
$4.2
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.81
$2.49
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.18
$2.95
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$47.8
$60
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.84
$8.94
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$61.8
$72.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.1
$14.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$79.4
$95
👟 Brand Sneakers
$92.7
$97.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$664
$447
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14350
$13171

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Bucharest

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 8.3 mi Voluntari
$970
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$910
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$885
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$777
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$802
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$692
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$857
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$775
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$762
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$873
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$675
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$681
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$1056
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$752
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$835
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$667
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$712
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$789
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$898
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$871
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$909
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$643
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$895
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$591
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$1039
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$1024
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$1103
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$618
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$805
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$703
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$854
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$832
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$926
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$797
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$706
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$848
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$766
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$724
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$668
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$749

Cities near Budapest

Distance City Cost of living
8.2 km or 5.1 mi Budafok-Teteny
$1089
16 km or 9.8 mi Erd
$936
16 km or 10 mi Dunakeszi
$1081
17 km or 11 mi Szigetszentmiklos
$1010
27 km or 17 mi Godollo
$1059
32 km or 20 mi Vac
$1070
49 km or 31 mi Tatabanya
$943
58 km or 36 mi Szekesfehervar
$884
58 km or 36 mi Dunaujvaros
$823
67 km or 42 mi Cegled
$1002
74 km or 46 mi Komarno
$1148
82 km or 51 mi Kecskemet
$895
84 km or 52 mi Nove Zamky
$1134
86 km or 53 mi Salgotarjan
$971
86 km or 53 mi Levice
$946
93 km or 58 mi Szolnok
$806
96 km or 59 mi Veszprem
$973
104 km or 65 mi Lucenec
$1037
107 km or 67 mi Gyor
$861
109 km or 68 mi Eger
$949
115 km or 72 mi Nitra
$1176
121 km or 75 mi Zvolen
$1346
123 km or 76 mi Ozd
$982
130 km or 81 mi Szekszard
$890
138 km or 86 mi Banska Bystrica
$1126
139 km or 86 mi Mosonmagyarovar
$917
145 km or 90 mi Prievidza
$992
146 km or 91 mi Trnava
$1311
146 km or 91 mi Miskolc
$913
146 km or 91 mi Baja
$965
150 km or 93 mi Piestany
$985
153 km or 95 mi Hodmezovasarhely
$808
158 km or 98 mi Kaposvar
$802
160 km or 99 mi Petrzalka
$1388
161 km or 100 mi Bratislava
$1497
163 km or 101 mi Subotica
$832
163 km or 101 mi Szeged
$934
170 km or 106 mi Pecs
$1033
172 km or 107 mi Trencin
$1257
174 km or 108 mi Martin
$1162