Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacau and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,354 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $916 per month in Bacau vs $1,354 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bacau $916
Bucharest $1,354

A couple spends around $1,552 per month in Bacau vs $2,043 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bacau $1,552
Bucharest $2,043

A family of three spends $2,189 per month in Bacau vs $2,733 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bacau $2,189
Bucharest $2,733

Bacau is about 32% cheaper than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.19 RON 68.2

$14.66 RON 70.5

-3.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 RON 407

$57.7 RON 277

46.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 RON 34.81

$7.52 RON 36.14

-3.72%

Cappuccino

$2.04 RON 9.81

$3.56 RON 17.09

-42.70%

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

$2.01 RON 9.64

$2.47 RON 11.88

-18.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 RON 8.99

$2.18 RON 10.50

-14.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 RON 11.88

$3.69 RON 17.73

-33.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 RON 16.04

$4.28 RON 20.57

-21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 RON 5.68

$1.67 RON 8.04

-29.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 RON 3.35

$1.35 RON 6.49

-48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.12

$1.78 RON 8.53

-5.06%

Eggs

$3.47 RON 16.67

$3.56 RON 17.12

-2.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 RON 36.92

$9.12 RON 43.86

-15.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 RON 25.62

$6.82 RON 32.77

-21.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.30 RON 39.89

$12.13 RON 58.3

-31.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.27

$1.26 RON 6.08

-12.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.12

$1.62 RON 7.80

-8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.15

$1.56 RON 7.49

-4.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.80

$2.54 RON 12.21

-27.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.48

$0.78 RON 3.76

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 RON 3.29

$0.77 RON 3.72

-11.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 RON 3.59

$0.89 RON 4.27

-15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RON 3.45

$0.90 RON 4.32

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 RON 25.71

$6.55 RON 31.49

-18.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 RON 25.25

$6.37 RON 30.60

-17.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.90

$1.24 RON 5.98

-17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.64

$1.62 RON 7.80

-27.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.35

$0.85 RON 4.11

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.15 RON 140

$20.71 RON 99.6

40.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.94

$0.61 RON 2.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.12

$0.61 RON 2.95

6.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 RON 32.32

$6.16 RON 29.62

9.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 RON 8.55

$2.00 RON 9.60

-11.00%

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

$28.9K RON 138.9K

$27.9K RON 134.4K

3.40%

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

$24.8K RON 119.4K

$25.3K RON 121.7K

-1.91%

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

$106 RON 509

$192 RON 923

-44.83%

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

$7.47 RON 35.91

$7.92 RON 38.06

-5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.63 RON 22.25

$8.96 RON 43.06

-48.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.29 RON 122

$49.99 RON 240

-49.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.98 RON 76.8

$24.81 RON 119

-35.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 RON 29.26

$8.51 RON 40.90

-28.44%

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

$589 RON 2,831

$686 RON 3,297

-14.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,986 RON 24.0K

$14.4K RON 69.3K

-65.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 RON 409

$90.2 RON 434

-5.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.98 RON 154

$38.74 RON 186

-17.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 RON 290

$78.9 RON 379

-23.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 RON 400

$92.1 RON 443

-9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 RON 2,000

$711 RON 3,419

-41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 RON 1,136

$462 RON 2,220

-48.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 RON 2,637

$1,053 RON 5,064

-47.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 RON 1,946

$723 RON 3,474

-43.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,805 RON 8,676

$3,634 RON 17.5K

-50.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 RON 5,907

$2,173 RON 10.4K

-43.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 RON 4,502

$1,354 RON 6,508

-30.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

6.75

3.26%

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

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacau

$236 25.8%

Bucharest

$462 34.1% 95.6% $226

Eating Out

Bacau

$194 21.2%

Bucharest

$228 16.9% 17.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Bacau

$177 19.3%

Bucharest

$225 16.6% 27.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacau

$118 12.9%

Bucharest

$209 15.4% 77% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Bacau

$117 12.8%

Bucharest

$135 10% 15.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Bacau

$37 4.1%

Bucharest

$67 5% 78.8% $30

Getting Around

Bacau

$36 3.9%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 22.3% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $416 in Bacau versus $711 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 45% higher in Bucharest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Bacau versus $58 in Bucharest. Groceries tell a different story – $177 in Bacau vs $225 in Bucharest – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bacau

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

Same time as Bacau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,307

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bacau Bucharest 240 km

From you

Bacau
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

Bacau vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bucharest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,373 per month in Bacau and $2,030 in Bucharest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $711 in Bucharest.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Bacau and $58 in Bucharest. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $916 in Bacau and $1,354 in Bucharest. That’s a gap of about 48%.

Families tend to lean toward Bacau – 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 Bacau. 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.