Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aba and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $408 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$408

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aba and in Bucharest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aba and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $408 per month in Aba vs $1,340 in Bucharest, rent included.

Aba $408
Bucharest $1,340

A couple spends around $664 per month in Aba vs $2,037 in Bucharest, rent included.

Aba $664
Bucharest $2,037

A family of three spends $921 per month in Aba vs $2,734 in Bucharest, rent included.

Aba $921
Bucharest $2,734

Aba is about 70% cheaper than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aba and Bucharest are more affordable than the global median – Aba 70% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 ₦9,880

$7.48 RON 35.40

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$0.87 ₦1,159

$3.44 RON 16.29

-74.71%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 RON 11.22

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 ₦2,746

$3.70 RON 17.51

-44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₦3,120

$4.16 RON 19.69

-43.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.69 ₦4,907

$1.67 RON 7.90

120.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 ₦2,951

$1.37 RON 6.50

62.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ₦15.2K

$9.08 RON 42.98

25.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.28 ₦1,703

$12.00 RON 56.8

-89.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ₦7,121

$1.23 RON 5.80

334.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 ₦740

$1.63 RON 7.73

-65.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 ₦4,811

$0.79 RON 3.75

358.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₦1,539

$0.87 RON 4.13

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₦184

$0.99 RON 4.70

-85.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.47 ₦1,959

$6.31 RON 29.86

-76.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₦9,870

$6.20 RON 29.34

19.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₦1,683

$1.19 RON 5.63

6.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₦1,940

$1.57 RON 7.45

-7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.24 ₦12.3K

$21.10 RON 99.8

-56.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$6,010 ₦8.0M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

-79.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$7,584 ₦10.1M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

-71.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$116 ₦153.7K

$196 RON 927

-41.00%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$2.22 ₦2,957

$8.04 RON 38.04

-72.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.39 ₦60.4K

$9.35 RON 44.21

385.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$2.06 ₦2,734

$8.15 RON 38.55

-74.72%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$628 RON 2,971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,067 ₦1.4M

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-92.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.19 ₦20.2K

$79.3 RON 375

-80.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.89 ₦25.1K

$90.4 RON 428

-79.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₦177.5K

$678 RON 3,209

-80.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₦599.4K

$1,083 RON 5,125

-58.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 ₦303.9K

$725 RON 3,430

-68.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 ₦1.5M

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-70.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$469 ₦624.0K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-78.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$96.4 ₦128.2K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-92.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

77.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aba: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aba

–

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Eating Out

Aba

–

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Groceries & Markets

Aba

–

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aba

–

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Aba

–

Bucharest

$134 10%

Sport & Entertainment

Aba

–

Bucharest

$67 5%

Getting Around

Aba

–

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $133 in Aba versus $678 in Bucharest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1279% higher in Bucharest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Aba

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

20:14 8:14 PM

2 h ahead of Aba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,900

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aba Bucharest 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Aba
Bucharest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aba vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bucharest is pricier by about 228%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $612 per month in Aba and $2,011 in Bucharest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Bucharest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 128% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Bucharest at $1,340. In Aba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bucharest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Aba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bucharest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.