Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Azores and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,371 a month against $1,611 in the Azores, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Azores, Portugal
Bucharest, Romania
Azores
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,611
/mo nomad
Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,371
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,611 per month in the Azores vs $1,371 in Bucharest, rent included.

  • Azores $1,611
  • Bucharest $1,371

A couple spends around $2,363 per month in the Azores vs $2,067 in Bucharest, rent included.

  • Azores $2,363
  • Bucharest $2,067

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in the Azores vs $2,764 in Bucharest, rent included.

  • Azores $3,115
  • Bucharest $2,764

Azores costs about 18% more than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.36 €10.11
$14.51 RON 69.0
-21.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.56 €40.56
$61.2 RON 291
-25.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.31 €8.29
$7.46 RON 35.46
24.80%
Cappuccino
$2.06 €1.84
$3.64 RON 17.31
-43.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 €1.71
$2.62 RON 12.43
-26.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.21
$2.36 RON 11.23
-42.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 €2.07
$3.78 RON 17.98
-38.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 €3.01
$4.11 RON 19.52
-17.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.66 RON 7.89
-34.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.59 €1.41
$1.40 RON 6.64
13.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.79 RON 8.53
-6.15%
Eggs
$2.98 €2.65
$3.63 RON 17.25
-17.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.26 €10.02
$8.92 RON 42.38
26.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.93 €7.06
$6.86 RON 32.62
15.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.24 €12.68
$11.99 RON 57.0
18.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 €2.14
$1.30 RON 6.16
84.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.63 RON 7.76
-12.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.49 RON 7.09
25.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$2.54 RON 12.08
-2.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$0.81 RON 3.86
88.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.80 RON 3.78
132.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.37
$0.86 RON 4.07
79.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.76
$0.94 RON 4.46
-9.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.93 €5.28
$6.60 RON 31.38
-10.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.21 €4.64
$6.33 RON 30.08
-17.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.19 RON 5.64
10.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.11
$1.58 RON 7.53
50.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.98 RON 4.64
139.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.18 €37.56
$20.91 RON 99.4
101.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.10 €3.65
$0.60 RON 2.86
583.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.68 €0.61
$0.62 RON 2.93
9.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.33 €15.43
$6.37 RON 30.25
172.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.02 RON 9.62
-1.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.7K €30.9K
$28.2K RON 134.0K
23.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K €35.7K
$26.3K RON 124.8K
52.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 €121
$196 RON 932
-30.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.36 €19.02
$8.60 RON 40.84
148.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.95 €37.36
$9.20 RON 43.69
355.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.76 €39.85
$51.0 RON 242
-12.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.38 €15.47
$25.04 RON 119
-30.59%
Cinema Ticket
$8.20 €7.30
$8.26 RON 39.27
-0.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$459 €409
$681 RON 3,234
-32.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,312 €7,401
$18.7K RON 89.0K
-55.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.7 €66.5
$93.3 RON 443
-19.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.06 €33.89
$39.87 RON 189
-4.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.8 €82.6
$80.1 RON 381
15.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.4 €82.3
$90.6 RON 431
1.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$912 €812
$731 RON 3,473
24.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$734 €653
$470 RON 2,232
56.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,500 €1,336
$1,110 RON 5,276
35.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 €1,040
$722 RON 3,431
61.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,004 €2,675
$3,749 RON 17.8K
-19.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,333 €2,077
$2,233 RON 10.6K
4.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Azores
Bucharest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,365 RON 6,487
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.01
6.75
-25.78%

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

Last update for the Azores: November 3, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Azores
$734
Bucharest
$470 36% $264
Groceries & Markets
Azores
$248
Bucharest
$225 9.5% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Azores
$200
Bucharest
$214 7.1% $14
Eating Out
Azores
$175
Bucharest
$229 31% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Azores
$134
Bucharest
$137 2% $2.7
Sport & Entertainment
Azores
$61
Bucharest
$68 10.4% $6.4
Getting Around
Azores
$59
Bucharest
$29 51.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $912 in the Azores versus $731 in Bucharest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in the Azores versus $61 in Bucharest. Groceries tell a different story – $248 in the Azores vs $225 in Bucharest – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Azores
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🕒 Local time
10:50 10:50 AM
13:50 1:50 PM
3 h ahead of the Azores
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
236,657
1,883,425 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Azores Bucharest 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Azores
  • 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
Azores vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bucharest cheaper than the Azores?
Yes – Azores is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,417 per month in the Azores and $2,056 in Bucharest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucharest, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $731 there versus $912 in the Azores.
How do food prices compare in the Azores and in Bucharest?
Groceries cost about 10% more in the Azores, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in the Azores or in Bucharest?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in the Azores and $61 in Bucharest. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough for either Azores or Bucharest?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,611 in the Azores and $1,371 in Bucharest, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Azores vs other spots: cost of living compared

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