Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bari and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $1,716 in Bari, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Bari
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Bari Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bari

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,716

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Bari vs $1,351 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bari $1,716
Bucharest $1,351

A couple spends around $2,654 per month in Bari vs $2,033 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bari $2,654
Bucharest $2,033

A family of three spends $3,591 per month in Bari vs $2,715 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bari $3,591
Bucharest $2,715

Bari costs about 27% more than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bari and Bucharest sit above the global median – Bari by 28%, Bucharest by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.59 €14.81

$14.46 RON 68.4

14.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €61.0

$57.7 RON 273

18.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 €10.06

$7.50 RON 35.46

50.40%

Cappuccino

$1.94 €1.73

$3.43 RON 16.20

-43.44%

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

$2.57 €2.30

$2.46 RON 11.63

4.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.07

$2.33 RON 11.01

-48.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.45

$3.80 RON 17.97

1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.03

$4.10 RON 19.41

-17.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.65 RON 7.79

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.58

$1.35 RON 6.39

31.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$1.78 RON 8.42

58.99%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.61

$3.66 RON 17.33

10.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.44 €13.78

$8.57 RON 40.54

80.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 €10.24

$6.80 RON 32.17

68.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 €14.89

$11.72 RON 55.4

42.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.09

$1.29 RON 6.11

81.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.78

$1.56 RON 7.37

27.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.54 RON 7.28

38.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.18

$2.48 RON 11.75

43.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.83 RON 3.92

96.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$0.80 RON 3.77

92.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.06

$0.84 RON 3.98

40.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 €0.34

$0.93 RON 4.39

-59.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €6.17

$6.44 RON 30.45

7.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 €6.49

$6.32 RON 29.91

15.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.26 RON 5.94

47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.24

$1.60 RON 7.59

56.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.23

$0.81 RON 3.85

69.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 €34.39

$21.13 RON 99.9

82.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 €4.91

$0.60 RON 2.86

816.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.61 RON 2.91

259.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.45 €20.93

$6.17 RON 29.19

280.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$1.96 RON 9.27

7.14%

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

$36.0K €32.2K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

28.01%

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

$34.9K €31.1K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

32.72%

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

$214 €191

$197 RON 931

8.63%

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

$11.32 €10.10

$8.34 RON 39.44

35.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.61 €27.31

$9.19 RON 43.47

233.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.88 €41.83

$49.87 RON 236

-6.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.66 €22.90

$24.99 RON 118

2.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 €7.80

$8.46 RON 40.01

3.31%

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

$743 €663

$639 RON 3,023

16.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,794 €5,170

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-59.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 €74.9

$90.6 RON 429

-7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 €42.29

$38.05 RON 180

24.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.4

$79.7 RON 377

35.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$93.2 RON 441

51.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 €786

$673 RON 3,184

30.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 €569

$449 RON 2,123

42.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,447

$1,098 RON 5,195

47.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €994

$729 RON 3,448

52.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,773 €3,367

$3,740 RON 17.7K

0.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,143 €1,913

$2,189 RON 10.4K

-2.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,921 €1,714

$1,323 RON 6,259

45.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

6.74

-41.84%

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

Last update for Bari: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bari

$638 36.8%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 29.6% $189

Groceries & Markets

Bari

$311 18%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 28.7% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bari

$256 14.8%

Bucharest

$214 16% 16.2% $41

Eating Out

Bari

$231 13.3%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 2.3% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Bari

$171 9.9%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 20.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Bari

$64 3.7%

Bucharest

$67 5% 3.8% $2.4

Getting Around

Bari

$60 3.5%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 53.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $880 in Bari versus $673 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 Bari, 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 $68.0 in Bari versus $58.0 in Bucharest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $222 – making Bucharest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Bari

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

1 h ahead of Bari

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,344

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 = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bari Bucharest 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bari
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

Bari vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bari costs about 27% more than Bucharest, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,575 per month in Bari and $2,027 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.

Kindergarten costs $743 per month in Bari and $639 in Bucharest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Bari, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,351, than in Bari at $1,716. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bari it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucharest costs $1,351 versus $1,716 in Bari. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Bari makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.