Bucharest or Budapest: which is better?
World city: head-to-head comparison
Budapest wins on more indicators: 3 of 4 against 0.
- Climate and risks: Budapest 0:3
All indicators weigh the same. This is a score based on data, not advice on where to live: different people have different circumstances.
Bucharest
Indicator
Budapest
Population
no winnerCity population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
1,877,155 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
1,741,041 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
Urban centre population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
1,971,350 people
2025
1,743,875 people
2025
Urban centre area
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
260 km²
2025
368 km²
2025
Urban centre density
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
7,582 people per km²
2025
4,739 people per km²
2025
Urban centre population growth, 2015–2025
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
1.5 %
2015–2025
5.7 %
2015–2025
Climate and risks
Better: Budapest (0 : 3)Hot days (max ≥ +30 °C)
lower is better
✗68 days per year
2016-202537% higher
✓50 days per year
2016-202527% lower
Frost days (min ≤ −10 °C)
lower is better
✗8 days per year
2016-20251800% higher
✓0 days per year
2016-202595% lower
Severe frost (min ≤ −20 °C)
lower is better
✗0.3 days per year
2016-2025
✓0.0 days per year
2016-2025
Ice days (max ≤ 0 °C)
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
9 days per year
2016-2025
5 days per year
2016-2025
Heating degree days
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
2,542 °C·days per year
2016-2025
2,220 °C·days per year
2016-2025
Cooling degree days
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
570 °C·days per year
2016-2025
672 °C·days per year
2016-2025
Rainy days
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
76 days per year
2016-2025
72 days per year
2016-2025
Annual precipitation
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
626 mm per year
2016-2025
507 mm per year
2016-2025
Daylight on December 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
8.8 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
8.4 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Daylight on June 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
15.5 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
16.0 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Air humidity
no data for one of the places
73 %
2021-2025
no data
Muggy days (dew point ≥ +20 °C)
no data for one of the places
8 days per year
2021-2025
no data
Distance to the sea
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
198 km
2006-2025
413 km
2006-2025
Earthquakes M4.5+ within 100 km
tie
0.00 per year
2006-2025
0.00 per year
2006-2025
A winner is named only for indicators with a known “better / worse” direction. Population and other neutral indicators are shown without a winner. Outdated and missing values are not counted. Details for each place: Bucharest, Budapest.