Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Algiers and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $594 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Algiers
🇩🇿 Algeria
$594
/mo nomad
Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,351
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $594 in Algiers versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

  • Algiers $594
  • Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $974 in Algiers versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

  • Algiers $974
  • Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,354 in Algiers versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

  • Algiers $1,354
  • Bucharest $2,715

Living in Algiers costs roughly 56% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Algiers is 56% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.45 DZD 461
$14.46 RON 68.9
-76.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.50 DZD 3,811
$57.7 RON 275
-50.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.28 DZD 572
$7.50 RON 35.72
-42.93%
Cappuccino
$1.11 DZD 149
$3.43 RON 16.32
-67.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 DZD 80.7
$2.46 RON 11.72
-75.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 DZD 35.79
$2.33 RON 11.09
-88.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 DZD 298
$3.80 RON 18.10
-41.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 DZD 295
$4.10 RON 19.56
-46.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 DZD 121
$1.65 RON 7.85
-45.45%
White Bread (500g)
$0.14 DZD 18.69
$1.35 RON 6.44
-89.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 DZD 147
$1.78 RON 8.48
-38.20%
Eggs
$1.26 DZD 168
$3.66 RON 17.46
-65.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.99 DZD 1,069
$8.57 RON 40.84
-6.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.02 DZD 538
$6.80 RON 32.41
-40.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.57 DZD 1,949
$11.72 RON 55.8
24.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.03 DZD 272
$1.29 RON 6.16
57.36%
Banana (1kg)
$2.70 DZD 361
$1.56 RON 7.43
73.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.07 DZD 144
$1.54 RON 7.34
-30.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.93 DZD 124
$2.48 RON 11.84
-62.50%
Potato (1kg)
$0.58 DZD 77.4
$0.83 RON 3.95
-30.12%
Onion (1kg)
$0.45 DZD 60.4
$0.80 RON 3.80
-43.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 DZD 103
$0.84 RON 4.01
-8.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.27 DZD 36.38
$0.93 RON 4.42
-70.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.19 DZD 426
$6.44 RON 30.68
-50.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.53 DZD 874
$6.32 RON 30.13
3.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 DZD 171
$1.26 RON 5.99
1.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 DZD 252
$1.60 RON 7.65
17.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 DZD 48.47
$0.81 RON 3.88
-55.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.75 DZD 902
$21.13 RON 101
-68.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.55 DZD 73.5
$0.60 RON 2.88
-8.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 DZD 63.0
$0.61 RON 2.93
-22.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.71 DZD 763
$6.17 RON 29.41
-7.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.36 DZD 47.67
$1.96 RON 9.34
-81.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K DZD 4.7M
$28.1K RON 134.2K
24.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K DZD 4.5M
$26.3K RON 125.3K
28.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$43.39 DZD 5,803
$197 RON 938
-77.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.87 DZD 1,320
$8.34 RON 39.74
18.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.32 DZD 1,648
$9.19 RON 43.80
34.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.45 DZD 3,270
$49.87 RON 238
-50.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.00 DZD 3,612
$24.99 RON 119
8.04%
Cinema Ticket
$4.54 DZD 607
$8.46 RON 40.31
-46.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$547 DZD 73.1K
$639 RON 3,046
-14.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,264 DZD 837.8K
$14.4K RON 68.6K
-56.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.71 DZD 4,241
$90.6 RON 432
-65.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 DZD 4,725
$38.05 RON 181
-7.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.9 DZD 9,355
$79.7 RON 380
-12.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.2 DZD 10.6K
$93.2 RON 444
-15.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$163 DZD 21.8K
$673 RON 3,209
-75.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$130 DZD 17.4K
$449 RON 2,139
-70.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$440 DZD 58.8K
$1,098 RON 5,234
-59.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$244 DZD 32.6K
$729 RON 3,474
-66.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,547 DZD 340.6K
$3,740 RON 17.8K
-31.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,373 DZD 183.6K
$2,189 RON 10.4K
-37.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Algiers
Bucharest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$330 DZD 44.1K
$1,323 RON 6,306
-75.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.3
6.74
-21.36%

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

Last update for Algiers: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Algiers
$175
Bucharest
$222 26.6% $47
Accommodation & Living
Algiers
$130
Bucharest
$449 245% $319
Clothing & Footwear
Algiers
$97
Bucharest
$136 39.5% $38
Eating Out
Algiers
$73
Bucharest
$226 210% $153
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Algiers
$66
Bucharest
$214 227% $149
Sport & Entertainment
Algiers
$34
Bucharest
$67 99.2% $33
Getting Around
Algiers
$11
Bucharest
$28 153% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $163 in Algiers and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 301% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Algiers vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $222 per month, with Algiers cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇿 Algiers
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🕒 Local time
02:52 2:52 AM
04:52 4:52 AM
2 h ahead of Algiers
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,415,811 Capital
1,883,425 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Algiers Bucharest 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Algiers
  • 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
Algiers vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bucharest cheaper than Algiers?
Algiers is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Algiers or Bucharest?
On paper, salaries run 301% lower in Bucharest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Algiers and Bucharest?
Rent for a central apartment: $163 in Algiers versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Algiers or in Bucharest?
Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $58.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Algiers and in Bucharest?
All in, you'll spend $594 per month in Algiers versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Algiers or in Bucharest?
At $594 in Algiers versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Algiers or Bucharest more family-friendly?
For families, Algiers is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bucharest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Algiers or Bucharest?
Safety-wise, Algiers and Bucharest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Algiers vs other spots: cost of living compared

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