Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Badalona and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,645 in Badalona, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Badalona
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Badalona Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Badalona

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,645

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,645 per month in Badalona vs $1,340 in Bucharest, rent included.

Badalona $1,645
Bucharest $1,340

A couple spends around $3,148 per month in Badalona vs $2,037 in Bucharest, rent included.

Badalona $3,148
Bucharest $2,037

A family of three spends $4,652 per month in Badalona vs $2,734 in Bucharest, rent included.

Badalona $4,652
Bucharest $2,734

Badalona costs about 23% more than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Badalona sits 22% above the global median, while Bucharest is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €15.24

$14.49 RON 68.6

18.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 €49.43

$58.1 RON 275

-4.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 €9.89

$7.48 RON 35.40

48.66%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.14

$3.44 RON 16.29

-29.94%

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

$2.58 €2.30

$2.37 RON 11.22

8.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.30 RON 10.88

-16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 €2.99

$3.70 RON 17.51

-9.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 €3.93

$4.16 RON 19.69

6.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.98

$1.67 RON 7.90

-33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 €1.85

$1.37 RON 6.50

52.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.72 RON 8.14

2.91%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.45

$3.64 RON 17.22

6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 €12.86

$9.08 RON 42.98

59.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.94

$6.84 RON 32.35

30.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 €13.36

$12.00 RON 56.8

25.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$1.23 RON 5.80

102.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.63 RON 7.73

23.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.57 RON 7.45

0.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.54 RON 12.01

-1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$0.79 RON 3.75

131.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$0.77 RON 3.66

151.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$0.87 RON 4.13

79.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.51

$0.99 RON 4.70

-41.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.95 €6.18

$6.31 RON 29.86

10.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.51 €4.90

$6.20 RON 29.34

-11.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.19 RON 5.63

-10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.20

$1.57 RON 7.45

57.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.42

$0.86 RON 4.08

86.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.42 €39.51

$21.10 RON 99.8

110.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 €2.69

$0.64 RON 3.05

371.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.35

$0.60 RON 2.86

153.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.79 €13.15

$6.43 RON 30.43

130.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.96 RON 9.25

-9.18%

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

$35.1K €31.3K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

21.20%

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

$30.0K €26.7K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

12.56%

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

$116 €103

$196 RON 927

-41.00%

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

$13.67 €12.16

$8.04 RON 38.04

70.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.78 €22.04

$9.35 RON 44.21

165.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 €62.0

$50.2 RON 238

38.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 €13.91

$25.33 RON 120

-38.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 €7.29

$8.15 RON 38.55

0.61%

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

$561 €499

$628 RON 2,971

-10.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €8,904

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-28.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 €55.9

$89.6 RON 424

-29.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.54 €19.16

$38.32 RON 181

-43.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.6

$79.3 RON 375

32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$90.4 RON 428

32.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 €1,232

$678 RON 3,209

104.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 €611

$448 RON 2,121

53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 €1,185

$1,083 RON 5,125

23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 €2,166

$725 RON 3,430

235.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,357 €2,986

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-10.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 €1,959

$2,195 RON 10.4K

0.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,875 €1,668

$1,329 RON 6,290

41.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

6.75

-51.11%

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

Last update for Badalona: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Badalona

$686 41.7%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 34.7% $238

Groceries & Markets

Badalona

$275 16.7%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 18.1% $50

Eating Out

Badalona

$243 14.8%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 7.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Badalona

$154 9.4%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 38.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Badalona

$139 8.5%

Bucharest

$134 10% 3.7% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Badalona

$86 5.2%

Bucharest

$67 5% 22.7% $20

Getting Around

Badalona

$61 3.7%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 54.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,386 in Badalona 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 41% higher in Badalona, 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 $56.0 in Badalona versus $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries tell a different story – $275 in Badalona vs $225 in Bucharest – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Badalona

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

20:59 8:59 PM

1 h ahead of Badalona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

225,957

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

Badalona Bucharest 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Badalona
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

Badalona vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,645 in Badalona, $1,340 in Bucharest – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,468 per month in Badalona 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,645 in Badalona and $1,340 in Bucharest. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 111% less in Bucharest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,340, than in Badalona at $1,645. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Badalona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bucharest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,340 in Bucharest to $1,645 in Badalona. 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, Badalona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.