Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Baia Mare: $935 a month against $1,354 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Baia Mare
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Baia Mare Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Baia Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$935

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Baia Mare versus $1,354 in Bucharest.

Baia Mare $935
Bucharest $1,354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,452 in Baia Mare versus $2,043 in Bucharest.

Baia Mare $1,452
Bucharest $2,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,969 in Baia Mare versus $2,733 in Bucharest.

Baia Mare $1,969
Bucharest $2,733

Living in Baia Mare costs roughly 31% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.61 RON 60.1

$14.66 RON 69.9

-13.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.99 RON 157

$57.7 RON 275

-42.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 RON 38.92

$7.52 RON 35.84

8.51%

Cappuccino

$2.07 RON 9.86

$3.56 RON 16.95

-41.85%

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

$1.81 RON 8.64

$2.47 RON 11.78

-26.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 RON 6.63

$2.18 RON 10.41

-36.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 RON 7.67

$3.69 RON 17.58

-56.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 RON 10.23

$4.28 RON 20.40

-49.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RON 6.91

$1.67 RON 7.97

-13.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.70

$1.35 RON 6.44

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.33

$1.78 RON 8.46

-13.48%

Eggs

$2.82 RON 13.45

$3.56 RON 16.98

-20.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 RON 28.24

$9.12 RON 43.49

-35.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 32.50

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 RON 51.3

$12.13 RON 57.8

-11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 RON 5.16

$1.26 RON 6.03

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.99

$1.62 RON 7.74

-9.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.52

$1.56 RON 7.43

-12.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 RON 12.45

$2.54 RON 12.11

2.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.39

$0.78 RON 3.73

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 RON 5.16

$0.77 RON 3.69

40.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 RON 5.30

$0.89 RON 4.23

24.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.90 RON 4.29

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 RON 29.15

$6.55 RON 31.22

-6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.52 RON 21.53

$6.37 RON 30.35

-29.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 RON 4.98

$1.24 RON 5.93

-15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.72

$1.62 RON 7.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.37

$0.85 RON 4.07

-16.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.38 RON 68.6

$20.71 RON 98.8

-30.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.61 RON 2.93

26.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 RON 3.55

$0.61 RON 2.92

22.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 RON 28.34

$6.16 RON 29.38

-3.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 RON 8.27

$2.00 RON 9.52

-13.50%

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

$28.5K RON 136.0K

$27.9K RON 133.2K

2.11%

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

$25.2K RON 119.9K

$25.3K RON 120.7K

-0.65%

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

$102 RON 488

$192 RON 916

-46.71%

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

$15.11 RON 72.0

$7.92 RON 37.74

90.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 RON 56.0

$8.96 RON 42.70

31.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.40 RON 178

$49.99 RON 238

-25.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.21 RON 77.3

$24.81 RON 118

-34.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 RON 47.70

$8.51 RON 40.55

17.63%

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

$520 RON 2,480

$686 RON 3,270

-24.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,441 RON 25.9K

$14.4K RON 68.7K

-62.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.34 RON 178

$90.2 RON 430

-58.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.05 RON 200

$38.74 RON 185

8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 RON 297

$78.9 RON 376

-21.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 RON 356

$92.1 RON 439

-18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 RON 1,753

$711 RON 3,390

-48.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 RON 1,215

$462 RON 2,202

-44.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 RON 2,774

$1,053 RON 5,022

-44.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 RON 2,096

$723 RON 3,444

-39.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,187 RON 10.4K

$3,634 RON 17.3K

-39.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 RON 7,041

$2,173 RON 10.4K

-32.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$853 RON 4,069

$1,354 RON 6,454

-36.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.48

6.75

10.81%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baia Mare

$255 27.3%

Bucharest

$462 34.1% 81.2% $207

Groceries & Markets

Baia Mare

$199 21.3%

Bucharest

$225 16.6% 12.7% $25

Eating Out

Baia Mare

$175 18.7%

Bucharest

$228 16.9% 30.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baia Mare

$129 13.8%

Bucharest

$209 15.4% 61.7% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Baia Mare

$97 10.4%

Bucharest

$135 10% 38.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Baia Mare

$57 6.1%

Bucharest

$67 5% 16.7% $9.6

Getting Around

Baia Mare

$22 2.3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 28.2% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $368 in Baia Mare and $711 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 59% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $33 in Baia Mare vs $58 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $225 per month, with Baia Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Baia Mare

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

Same time as Baia Mare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,738

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Baia Mare Bucharest 410 km

From you

Baia Mare
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

Baia Mare vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Baia Mare. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $368 in Baia Mare versus $711 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $520 in Baia Mare versus $686 in Bucharest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.