Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alges and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $2,009 in Alges, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Alges
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Alges Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Alges

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,009

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alges 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 Alges and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,009 per month in Alges vs $1,340 in Bucharest, rent included.

Alges $2,009
Bucharest $1,340

A couple spends around $2,853 per month in Alges vs $2,037 in Bucharest, rent included.

Alges $2,853
Bucharest $2,037

A family of three spends $3,697 per month in Alges vs $2,734 in Bucharest, rent included.

Alges $3,697
Bucharest $2,734

Alges costs about 50% more than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Alges sits 49% above the global median, while Bucharest is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 €13.66

$14.49 RON 68.6

6.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 €48.68

$58.1 RON 275

-5.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 €8.37

$7.48 RON 35.40

25.80%

Cappuccino

$2.64 €2.35

$3.44 RON 16.29

-23.26%

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

$2.35 €2.09

$2.37 RON 11.22

-0.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.30 RON 10.88

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.01

$3.70 RON 17.51

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 €4.93

$4.16 RON 19.69

33.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.67 RON 7.90

-37.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.37 RON 6.50

43.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.72 RON 8.14

29.65%

Eggs

$3.42 €3.04

$3.64 RON 17.22

-6.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 €9.63

$9.08 RON 42.98

19.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 €6.31

$6.84 RON 32.35

3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 €13.30

$12.00 RON 56.8

24.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$1.23 RON 5.80

131.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.63 RON 7.73

-15.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.57 RON 7.45

13.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 €2.00

$2.54 RON 12.01

-11.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$0.79 RON 3.75

97.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$0.77 RON 3.66

189.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.87 RON 4.13

77.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.99 RON 4.70

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 €5.05

$6.31 RON 29.86

-10.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 €4.35

$6.20 RON 29.34

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.19 RON 5.63

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.57 RON 7.45

96.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €2.01

$0.86 RON 4.08

162.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.01 €39.15

$21.10 RON 99.8

108.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 €4.06

$0.64 RON 3.05

612.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.88

$0.60 RON 2.86

65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.84 €15.87

$6.43 RON 30.43

177.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.96 RON 9.25

4.59%

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

$33.8K €30.1K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

16.53%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

43.09%

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

$137 €122

$196 RON 927

-30.26%

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

$24.63 €21.91

$8.04 RON 38.04

206.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 €50.1

$9.35 RON 44.21

501.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 €39.89

$50.2 RON 238

-10.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 €15.22

$25.33 RON 120

-32.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 €6.40

$8.15 RON 38.55

-11.66%

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

$597 €531

$628 RON 2,971

-4.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

32.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 €68.3

$89.6 RON 424

-14.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.38 €29.69

$38.32 RON 181

-12.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 €80.6

$79.3 RON 375

14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 €84.3

$90.4 RON 428

4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 €1,103

$678 RON 3,209

82.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 €938

$448 RON 2,121

135.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 €1,821

$1,083 RON 5,125

88.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 €1,386

$725 RON 3,430

114.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,991 €2,660

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-20.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 €2,014

$2,195 RON 10.4K

3.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,229 €1,093

$1,329 RON 6,290

-7.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

6.75

-45.63%

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

Last update for Alges: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alges

$1.1K 52.5%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 57.5% $606

Groceries & Markets

Alges

$253 12.6%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 10.9% $28

Eating Out

Alges

$229 11.4%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 1.7% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alges

$218 10.8%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 1.9% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Alges

$133 6.6%

Bucharest

$134 10% 0.7% $0.9

Getting Around

Alges

$63 3.1%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 54.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Alges

$59 3%

Bucharest

$67 5% 12.3% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Alges 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 8% higher in Bucharest, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Alges versus $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Alges vs $225 in Bucharest – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Alges

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

17:19 5:19 PM

2 h ahead of Alges

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,327

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Alges Bucharest 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Alges
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

Alges vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,009 in Alges, $1,340 in Bucharest – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,013 per month in Alges 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 Bucharest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $597 per month in Alges and $628 in Bucharest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Alges, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,340, than in Alges at $2,009. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alges it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Alges has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,340 in Bucharest to $2,009 in Alges. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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