Bucharest vs Budapest - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Budapest
🚶 Cost of living one person
$988
$1109
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2566
$2730
🏠 One person rent
$474
$553
🏘️ Family rent
$877
$965
🍽️ Food expenses
$339
$342
🚐 Transport expenses
$67.6
$105
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1247
$1229
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
77
92
😀 Quality of life
79
79
🏙️ Population
1.72M
1.69M

The cost of living in Bucharest is 11% less expensive than in Budapest. Cities ranked 5565th and 4777th ($988 vs $1109) 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 1.1 months in Budapest. Bucharest ranked 1st best city to live in Romania vs Budapest ranked 1st in Hungary, while ranked 645th and 618th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$10.5
$9.45
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$44.7
$45
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.25
$7.53
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$2.55
 Cappuccino
$3.01
$2.77
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.09
$1.48
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$520
$574
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$337
$426
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$999
$1044
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$658
$769
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$90.8
$79.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$141
$123
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$9.28
$18.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
7.1%
6.95%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3094
$4106
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1793
$2694
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.63
$1.18
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$17.3
$23.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.57
$11.7
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.52
$1.62
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.6
$1.13
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.98
$1.24
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.35
$1.52
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.05
$2.78
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.55
$10
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.56
$5.66
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.9
$11.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.15
$1.66
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.62
$1.73
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.6
$1.88
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.05
$2.99
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.94
$1.13
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.89
$1.15
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.57
$0.34
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.01
$1.96
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$7.28
$5.79
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.12
$1.03
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.84
$5.93
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.38
$9.29
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.93
$3.38
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.61
$2.15
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.03
$2.73
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42.7
$51
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.92
$7.6
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$51.8
$49.5
💇 Haircut, simple
$10.4
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$72.9
$71.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$84
$82.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$569
$374
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$11573
$11151

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
$867
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$847
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$796
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$633
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$704
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$629
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$729
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$696
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$722
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$743
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$623
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$622
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$938
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$731
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$770
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$594
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$680
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$702
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$752
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$741
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$848
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$598
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$786
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$631
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$892
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$929
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$1002
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$546
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$698
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$646
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$837
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$718
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$812
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$725
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$574
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$721
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$687
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$650
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$605
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$758

Cities near Budapest

Distance City Cost of living
8.2 km or 5.1 mi Budafok-Teteny
$901
16 km or 9.8 mi Erd
$790
16 km or 10 mi Dunakeszi
$939
17 km or 11 mi Szigetszentmiklos
$843
27 km or 17 mi Godollo
$924
32 km or 20 mi Vac
$827
49 km or 31 mi Tatabanya
$794
58 km or 36 mi Szekesfehervar
$762
58 km or 36 mi Dunaujvaros
$684
67 km or 42 mi Cegled
$855
74 km or 46 mi Komarno
$1045
82 km or 51 mi Kecskemet
$781
84 km or 52 mi Nove Zamky
$1019
86 km or 53 mi Salgotarjan
$823
86 km or 53 mi Levice
$987
93 km or 58 mi Szolnok
$666
96 km or 59 mi Veszprem
$786
104 km or 65 mi Lucenec
$922
107 km or 67 mi Gyor
$784
109 km or 68 mi Eger
$784
115 km or 72 mi Nitra
$1039
121 km or 75 mi Zvolen
$1237
123 km or 76 mi Ozd
$802
130 km or 81 mi Szekszard
$747
138 km or 86 mi Banska Bystrica
$1080
139 km or 86 mi Mosonmagyarovar
$794
145 km or 90 mi Prievidza
$892
146 km or 91 mi Trnava
$1181
146 km or 91 mi Miskolc
$676
146 km or 91 mi Baja
$692
150 km or 93 mi Piestany
$935
153 km or 95 mi Hodmezovasarhely
$681
158 km or 98 mi Kaposvar
$750
160 km or 99 mi Petrzalka
$1202
161 km or 100 mi Bratislava
$1275
163 km or 101 mi Subotica
$768
163 km or 101 mi Szeged
$766
170 km or 106 mi Pecs
$848
172 km or 107 mi Trencin
$1118
174 km or 108 mi Martin
$1039