Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bitola and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bitola: $856 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Bitola
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Bitola Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bitola

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$856

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $856 in Bitola versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Bitola $856
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,271 in Bitola versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Bitola $1,271
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,686 in Bitola versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Bitola $1,686
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Bitola costs roughly 37% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bitola is 36% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 MKD 281

$14.46 RON 68.4

-64.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.02 MKD 1,480

$57.7 RON 273

-53.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.27 MKD 289

$7.50 RON 35.46

-29.73%

Cappuccino

$1.89 MKD 103

$3.43 RON 16.20

-44.90%

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

$1.79 MKD 98.3

$2.46 RON 11.63

-27.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 MKD 76.9

$2.33 RON 11.01

-39.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MKD 118

$3.80 RON 17.97

-43.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MKD 136

$4.10 RON 19.41

-39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MKD 75.4

$1.65 RON 7.79

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MKD 38.37

$1.35 RON 6.39

-48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MKD 91.1

$1.78 RON 8.42

-6.74%

Eggs

$2.00 MKD 109

$3.66 RON 17.33

-45.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 MKD 534

$8.57 RON 40.54

13.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 MKD 393

$6.80 RON 32.17

5.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 MKD 714

$11.72 RON 55.4

11.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 MKD 54.7

$1.29 RON 6.11

-22.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 75.9

$1.56 RON 7.37

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 MKD 67.6

$1.54 RON 7.28

-20.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MKD 83.7

$2.48 RON 11.75

-38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MKD 48.86

$0.83 RON 3.92

7.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MKD 71.4

$0.80 RON 3.77

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 MKD 29.01

$0.84 RON 3.98

-36.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MKD 28.51

$0.93 RON 4.39

-44.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 MKD 178

$6.44 RON 30.45

-49.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 MKD 324

$6.32 RON 29.91

-6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MKD 54.0

$1.26 RON 5.94

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 MKD 96.9

$1.60 RON 7.59

10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MKD 28.75

$0.81 RON 3.85

-35.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.10 MKD 882

$21.13 RON 99.9

-23.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 60.3

$0.60 RON 2.86

83.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MKD 33.25

$0.61 RON 2.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 MKD 340

$6.17 RON 29.19

0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MKD 82.9

$1.96 RON 9.27

-22.96%

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

$30.8K MKD 1.7M

$28.1K RON 133.1K

9.50%

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

$32.4K MKD 1.8M

$26.3K RON 124.3K

23.29%

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

$145 MKD 7,950

$197 RON 931

-26.30%

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

$13.90 MKD 762

$8.34 RON 39.44

66.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.01 MKD 713

$9.19 RON 43.47

41.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.40 MKD 1,173

$49.87 RON 236

-57.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.28 MKD 344

$24.99 RON 118

-74.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 MKD 246

$8.46 RON 40.01

-46.93%

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

$211 MKD 11.5K

$639 RON 3,023

-67.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,146 MKD 62.8K

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-92.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.3 MKD 4,128

$90.6 RON 429

-16.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.55 MKD 2,551

$38.05 RON 180

22.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 MKD 3,943

$79.7 RON 377

-9.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,111

$93.2 RON 441

19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 MKD 14.5K

$673 RON 3,184

-60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 MKD 10.2K

$449 RON 2,123

-58.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MKD 21.8K

$1,098 RON 5,195

-63.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 MKD 16.2K

$729 RON 3,448

-59.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,707 MKD 93.5K

$3,740 RON 17.7K

-54.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 MKD 64.6K

$2,189 RON 10.4K

-46.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$755 MKD 41.4K

$1,323 RON 6,259

-42.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.74

-4.30%

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

Last update for Bitola: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bitola

$199 23.3%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 11.2% $22

Accommodation & Living

Bitola

$185 21.7%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 142% $263

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bitola

$172 20.1%

Bucharest

$214 16% 24.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Bitola

$137 16.1%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 1.2% $1.7

Eating Out

Bitola

$108 12.6%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 109% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Bitola

$30 3.6%

Bucharest

$67 5% 120% $36

Getting Around

Bitola

$22 2.6%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 25.7% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Bitola and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 75% 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: $27.00 in Bitola vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $222 per month, with Bitola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Bitola

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

06:45 6:45 AM

1 h ahead of Bitola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,550

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 54.8 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.46 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bitola Bucharest 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bitola
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

Bitola vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bitola and Bucharest differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($856 vs $1,351 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Bucharest. 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: $264 in Bitola versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $58.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $856 in Bitola versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bitola but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Bitola 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, Bitola 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 Bitola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.