Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bensheim and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $2,037 in Bensheim, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Bensheim
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Bensheim Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bensheim

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,037

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,037 in Bensheim versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Bensheim $2,037
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,013 in Bensheim versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Bensheim $3,013
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,989 in Bensheim versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Bensheim $3,989
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Bensheim is roughly 52% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bensheim is 51% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$14.49 RON 68.6

15.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 €71.4

$58.1 RON 275

38.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.82

$7.48 RON 35.40

77.54%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$3.44 RON 16.29

17.15%

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

$3.56 €3.17

$2.37 RON 11.22

50.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €3.00

$2.30 RON 10.88

46.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.23 €4.65

$3.70 RON 17.51

41.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.64

$4.16 RON 19.69

-1.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.67 RON 7.90

-10.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.37 RON 6.50

58.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 €3.39

$1.72 RON 8.14

122.09%

Eggs

$3.89 €3.46

$3.64 RON 17.22

6.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 €12.18

$9.08 RON 42.98

50.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 €9.47

$6.84 RON 32.35

55.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.21 €23.32

$12.00 RON 56.8

118.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 €2.93

$1.23 RON 5.80

168.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.63 RON 7.73

34.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.57 RON 7.45

26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 €3.23

$2.54 RON 12.01

42.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.03

$0.79 RON 3.75

46.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.09

$0.77 RON 3.66

59.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$0.87 RON 4.13

74.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.98

$0.99 RON 4.70

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 €8.80

$6.31 RON 29.86

56.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 €5.04

$6.20 RON 29.34

-8.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.19 RON 5.63

-5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.57 RON 7.45

-3.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 €3.15

$0.86 RON 4.08

312.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 €59.2

$21.10 RON 99.8

215.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 €3.86

$0.64 RON 3.05

578.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.60 RON 2.86

268.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.26 €32.25

$6.43 RON 30.43

463.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.96 RON 9.25

8.67%

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

$32.9K €29.2K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

13.29%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

43.95%

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

$355 €316

$196 RON 927

81.42%

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

$27.29 €24.28

$8.04 RON 38.04

239.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.25 €43.81

$9.35 RON 44.21

426.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 €37.38

$50.2 RON 238

-16.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.44 €23.52

$25.33 RON 120

4.38%

Cinema Ticket

$13.37 €11.90

$8.15 RON 38.55

64.05%

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

$539 €480

$628 RON 2,971

-14.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.1K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

28.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 €74.7

$89.6 RON 424

-6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 €30.80

$38.32 RON 181

-9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 €85.1

$79.3 RON 375

20.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €122

$90.4 RON 428

52.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €765

$678 RON 3,209

26.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 €584

$448 RON 2,121

46.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,299

$1,083 RON 5,125

34.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 €921

$725 RON 3,430

42.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,991 €4,439

$3,751 RON 17.7K

33.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,757 €3,342

$2,195 RON 10.4K

71.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,388 €3,904

$1,329 RON 6,290

230.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

6.75

-46.37%

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

Last update for Bensheim: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bensheim

$656 32.2%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 31.7% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bensheim

$432 21.2%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 50.6% $219

Groceries & Markets

Bensheim

$342 16.8%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 34.1% $117

Eating Out

Bensheim

$284 13.9%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 20.6% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Bensheim

$158 7.8%

Bucharest

$134 10% 15.4% $24

Getting Around

Bensheim

$96 4.7%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 70.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Bensheim

$69 3.4%

Bucharest

$67 5% 3.3% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Bensheim and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Bensheim vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Bensheim

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

21:39 9:39 PM

1 h ahead of Bensheim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,124

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

Bensheim Bucharest 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bensheim
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

Bensheim vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bensheim and Bucharest differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,037 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 230% higher in Bensheim, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $860 in Bensheim versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $539 in Bensheim versus $628 in Bucharest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Bensheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $2,037 in Bensheim, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Bensheim. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bensheim and Bucharest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Bensheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.