Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birgu and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,731 in Birgu, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Birgu
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Birgu Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Birgu

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,731

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,731 in Birgu versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Birgu $1,731
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Birgu versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Birgu $2,817
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,902 in Birgu versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Birgu $3,902
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Birgu is roughly 29% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Birgu is 28% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 €17.58

$14.49 RON 68.6

36.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.6 €77.9

$58.1 RON 275

50.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 €10.56

$7.48 RON 35.40

58.69%

Cappuccino

$2.64 €2.35

$3.44 RON 16.29

-23.26%

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

$2.29 €2.04

$2.37 RON 11.22

-3.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.30 RON 10.88

-25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 €3.98

$3.70 RON 17.51

21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.61

$4.16 RON 19.69

24.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.67 RON 7.90

-18.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.37 RON 6.50

-2.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 €3.74

$1.72 RON 8.14

144.77%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.60

$3.64 RON 17.22

11.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 €7.39

$9.08 RON 42.98

-8.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.64

$6.84 RON 32.35

25.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 €13.63

$12.00 RON 56.8

27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.23 RON 5.80

125.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.63 RON 7.73

-22.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$1.57 RON 7.45

79.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.46

$2.54 RON 12.01

9.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.79 RON 3.75

178.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.77 RON 3.66

119.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 €2.05

$0.87 RON 4.13

164.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.77

$0.99 RON 4.70

-12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €6.06

$6.31 RON 29.86

8.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 €7.40

$6.20 RON 29.34

34.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.19 RON 5.63

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.57 RON 7.45

55.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.08

$0.86 RON 4.08

172.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.80 €12.27

$21.10 RON 99.8

-34.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 €4.82

$0.64 RON 3.05

746.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.60 RON 2.86

81.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.03 €24.04

$6.43 RON 30.43

320.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.96 RON 9.25

-25.51%

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

$26.0K €23.2K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

-10.21%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

22.62%

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

$103 €91.3

$196 RON 927

-47.58%

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

$25.53 €22.70

$8.04 RON 38.04

217.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.11 €29.45

$9.35 RON 44.21

254.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.55 €38.74

$50.2 RON 238

-13.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.5 €59.2

$25.33 RON 120

162.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 €8.80

$8.15 RON 38.55

21.35%

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

$371 €330

$628 RON 2,971

-40.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,023 €1,799

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-85.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.33 €22.53

$89.6 RON 424

-71.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.87 €30.13

$38.32 RON 181

-11.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.1

$79.3 RON 375

26.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €97.4

$90.4 RON 428

21.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 €872

$678 RON 3,209

44.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 €709

$448 RON 2,121

77.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 €1,588

$1,083 RON 5,125

64.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,365

$725 RON 3,430

111.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 €3,603

$3,751 RON 17.7K

7.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,820 €2,509

$2,195 RON 10.4K

28.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,873 €1,666

$1,329 RON 6,290

40.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

6.75

-57.04%

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

Last update for Birgu: 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

Birgu

$798 46.1%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 43.8% $349

Groceries & Markets

Birgu

$279 16.2%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 19.5% $54

Eating Out

Birgu

$274 15.8%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 17.9% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birgu

$161 9.3%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 32.2% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Birgu

$121 7%

Bucharest

$134 10% 10.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Birgu

$63 3.7%

Bucharest

$67 5% 5% $3.2

Getting Around

Birgu

$34 2%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 17.1% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Birgu and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 41% 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: $88.0 in Birgu vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Birgu

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

12:25 12:25 PM

1 h ahead of Birgu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,500

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

Birgu Bucharest 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Birgu
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

Birgu vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Birgu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bucharest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Birgu, 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: $980 in Birgu versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 53% less than in Birgu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $371 in Birgu versus $628 in Bucharest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,731 in Birgu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Birgu. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bucharest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,340 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bucharest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Birgu 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 29% less than in Birgu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.