Romania
Romania's bustling capital with grand Belle Époque architecture, a booming nightlife scene, and an emerging creative culture at some of Eastern Europe's lowest costs.
#112 of 250
3% below average
Monthly cost, one adult
$ 1 408
Based on NYC = 100 index
Bucharest is the 112. most expensive of the 250 cities we track — a month here comes to $ 1 408 for one adult.
Most of that goes on utilities, which runs 82% above the median city and adds $ 106 a month: basic utilities (85m2 apt) $ 222, mobile plan (10gb+) $ 5.
Cheaper here than almost anywhere else is basic grocery basket, 67% below the median: chicken breast (1kg) $ 6, milk (1 liter) $ 1. You also get off lightly on housing.
Percentages compare this city against the median of all tracked cities, category by category.
13 prices on this page come from live scrapers (7 sources, observed October 13, 2026 to October 13, 2026). They are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit CostCompass and link this page.
CostCompass (2026). Cost of living in Bucharest, Romania. Data as of 2026-10-14. https://costcompass.net/living/cities/bucharest. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
| Item | Price (USD) | Observations | Last observed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (City Center) | 726.38 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Storia |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside Center) | 670.51 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Storia |
| 3BR Apartment (City Center) | 1,229.26 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Storia |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside Center) | 2,207.09 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Storia |
| Monthly Transit Pass | 16.76 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | City Transit Fares |
| One-way Ticket | 0.63 / trip | 1 | 2026-10-13 | City Transit Fares |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 2.11 / liter | 1 | 2026-10-13 | EU Weekly Oil Bulletin |
| Basic Utilities (85m2 Apt) | 221.71 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Eurostat Energy Prices |
| Cinema Ticket | 5.66 / ticket | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Cinema Ticket Prices |
| Jeans (Levis or Similar) | 53.89 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | AboutYou & local fashion e-shops, H&M |
| Summer Dress (Chain Store) | 63.94 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | AboutYou & local fashion e-shops, H&M |
| Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas) | 106.84 / pair | 1 | 2026-10-13 | AboutYou & local fashion e-shops |
| Business Shoes (Leather) | 41.90 / pair | 1 | 2026-10-13 | AboutYou & local fashion e-shops |
Cities where the money splits the same way
Bulgaria
Similar share of Housing & Utilities · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Slovakia
Similar share of Housing & Restaurants
Poland
Similar share of Housing & Entertainment
Croatia
Similar share of Utilities & Entertainment
Monthly average costs by category
$ 698
per month
$ 49
per month
$ 228
per month
$ 80
per month
$ 236
per month
$ 67
per month
$ 18
per month
$ 32
per month