--- title: "Fuse vs Renting a Flat Yourself in Budapest and Riga | Fuse" description: "A room in a private flat costs about €300 a month in Budapest and Riga, plus bills; a private room at Fuse from €465 in Budapest and €350 in Riga, all-inclusive." url: "https://fusestays.com/compare/renting-a-flat-yourself" updated: 2026-10-23 --- # Fuse vs renting a room in a private flat yourself A room you rent yourself in a private flat costs about €300 a month in Budapest and in Riga, usually with utilities on top, while a private room at Fuse costs from €465 in Budapest and €350 in Riga, with utilities, Wi-Fi and furniture included. Renting yourself, you find a landlord or an agency, usually with a viewing, and in Budapest deposits of at least two months' rent are common; Fuse is booked online from abroad, with a €295 membership fee and a deposit of two times the base monthly rent in Budapest or one and a half times in Riga. A place in a shared room at Fuse costs from €380 in Budapest and €250 in Riga. In Budapest, utilities for a whole 85 m² flat run to about €154 a month (Numbeo, crowd sourced, not official statistics); in a shared flat each person pays a share. Fuse prices come from the live listings, checked on 23 October 2026. ## Side by side **Renting a room in a private flat yourself and Fuse, in Budapest and Riga** | | Renting a room yourself | Fuse | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly price | About €300 for a room in both cities, by the universities' own guides (Semmelweis for Budapest, RSU for Riga) | A private room from €465 in Budapest and €350 in Riga, or a place in a shared room from €380 in Budapest and €250 in Riga, all-inclusive, depending on the contract length | | Bills in Budapest | Usually rent only: utilities and internet come on top | Rent, utilities and WiFi in one price, furniture, a linen set at check-in. Fair use applies in Budapest: if the utilities of your room or flat go above €70 in a month, the extra can be charged. At Gát utca 19 the allowance is 150 kWh of electricity and 5 m³ of water a month; use above that can be charged. | | Bills in Riga | Rent only: RSU's guide budgets €200 to €300 a month for utilities and services | Rent, utilities and WiFi in one price, furniture, a linen set at check-in | | The room | Your own room in a flat you share; furniture depends on the landlord | Bed, wardrobe, desk, storage; new linen set at check-in | | Up front in Budapest | Deposits of at least two months' rent are common | A €295 membership fee once, then the first month's rent and a deposit of two times the base monthly rent | | Up front in Riga | Deposit set by the landlord (no official norm found) | A €295 membership fee once, then the first month's rent and a deposit of one and a half times the base monthly rent | | Finding it | Find a landlord or an agency yourself, usually with a viewing | Book online from anywhere, no viewing: ID and proof of your reason for staying | Fuse prices come from the live listings, checked on 23 October 2026; every dorm and private market figure is the source's own, checked on 11 October 2026. Sources: * [Corvinus University: dormitories and private accommodation](https://www.uni-corvinus.hu/post/landing-page/dormitories/?lang=en) * [ELTE dormitory prices (Vezér út, one of seven ELTE dorms)](https://www.elte.hu/en/dormitory-centre/vezer) * [ELTE: living costs in Budapest](https://www.elte.hu/en/about-budapest/costs) * [ELTE Housing Office: deposits in private rentals](https://www.elte.hu/en/housing-office) * [Semmelweis University: housing](https://semmelweis.hu/admission/life-at/housing/) * [BME: dormitories](https://www.imt.bme.hu/accommodation/dormitories/) * [Numbeo: cost of living in Budapest (crowd sourced)](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Budapest?displayCurrency=EUR) * [University of Latvia: accommodation](https://www.lu.lv/en/studies/student-life/accommodation/) * [RSU Student Hostel, Dzirciems](https://www.rsu.lv/en/student-hostel-dzirciems) * [RSU Student Hostel, Āgenskalns](https://www.rsu.lv/en/student-hostel-agenskalns) * [RSU: life in Riga, cost of living](https://www.rsu.lv/en/life-riga) * [Numbeo: cost of living in Riga (crowd sourced)](https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Riga?displayCurrency=EUR) ## What comes with a Fuse contract * Contracts of 5, 6, 10 or 12 months, starting on the 1st or the 15th of a month. * Housemates who went through the same application. * Repairs: report it on WhatsApp or by email, and we reply within 1 business day. If you did not cause it, we cover it. * Your deposit is held in a separate account and comes back within 30 days of move out. * Plans change after move in? Pass your contract to someone eligible for a €50 takeover fee. * [Fuse vs a dorm vs a private flat](https://fusestays.com/student-housing-costs) * [How to book safely from abroad](https://fusestays.com/book-safely) ## Questions students ask ### Is renting a room yourself cheaper than Fuse? On rent alone in Budapest, yes: your own room in a private flat costs about €300 a month, and a private room at Fuse starts at €465. Fuse's lowest price in Budapest, €380, is for a place in a shared room. On rent alone in Riga, yes: your own room in a private flat costs about €300 a month, and a private room at Fuse starts at €350. Fuse's lowest price in Riga, €250, is for a place in a shared room. Utilities and internet usually come on top of a private rent, while Fuse includes them. ### What do I pay before I move in? Renting yourself, deposits of at least two months' rent are common in Budapest, and in Riga the landlord sets the deposit. With Fuse you pay the €295 membership fee once, then the first month's rent and a deposit of two times the base monthly rent in Budapest or one and a half times in Riga, before you move in. ### Who fixes things in a Fuse home? Report it on WhatsApp or by email, and we reply within 1 business day. If you did not cause it, we cover it. ## More from Fuse * [Student housing in Budapest](https://fusestays.com/cities/budapest) * [Student housing in Riga](https://fusestays.com/cities/riga) * [Fuse prices](https://fusestays.com/pricing) * [Every room and its price](https://fusestays.com/rooms) * [Erasmus housing in Budapest](https://fusestays.com/erasmus-housing/budapest) * [Erasmus housing in Riga](https://fusestays.com/erasmus-housing/riga) * [Student housing costs: Budapest vs Riga](https://fusestays.com/student-housing-costs/budapest-vs-riga) * [How to book safely from abroad](https://fusestays.com/book-safely) * [Fuse vs student dorms](https://fusestays.com/compare/student-dorms) * [How to compare student housing](https://fusestays.com/compare/how-to-choose) * [Fuse vs a dorm vs a private flat](https://fusestays.com/student-housing-costs)