Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bologna and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,203 in Bologna, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Bologna
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Bologna Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bologna

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,203

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,203 per month in Bologna vs $1,351 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bologna $2,203
Bucharest $1,351

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in Bologna vs $2,033 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bologna $3,399
Bucharest $2,033

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Bologna vs $2,715 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bologna $4,595
Bucharest $2,715

Bologna costs about 63% more than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bologna and Bucharest sit above the global median – Bologna by 64%, Bucharest by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.43 €20.02

$14.46 RON 68.4

55.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €81.0

$57.7 RON 273

57.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.73 €12.25

$7.50 RON 35.46

83.07%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.96

$3.43 RON 16.20

-35.86%

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

$3.54 €3.16

$2.46 RON 11.63

43.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.33 RON 11.01

-24.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.70 €5.97

$3.80 RON 17.97

76.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 €4.96

$4.10 RON 19.41

35.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.65 RON 7.79

-19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 €2.78

$1.35 RON 6.39

130.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$1.78 RON 8.42

67.42%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.48

$3.66 RON 17.33

6.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.73 €18.50

$8.57 RON 40.54

141.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 €10.90

$6.80 RON 32.17

79.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.84 €18.60

$11.72 RON 55.4

77.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.13

$1.29 RON 6.11

84.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$1.56 RON 7.37

53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.54 RON 7.28

70.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 €3.00

$2.48 RON 11.75

35.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$0.83 RON 3.92

131.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$0.80 RON 3.77

126.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.26

$0.84 RON 3.98

67.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.93 RON 4.39

-45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.13

$6.44 RON 30.45

6.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.94

$6.32 RON 29.91

23.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.26 RON 5.94

52.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.54

$1.60 RON 7.59

77.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.28

$0.81 RON 3.85

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.29 €38.63

$21.13 RON 99.9

104.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.08

$0.60 RON 2.86

663.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 €1.53

$0.61 RON 2.91

181.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.11 €28.66

$6.17 RON 29.19

420.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.96 RON 9.27

11.22%

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

$37.0K €33.0K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

31.56%

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

$36.6K €32.7K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

39.23%

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

$245 €219

$197 RON 931

24.48%

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

$11.42 €10.19

$8.34 RON 39.44

36.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.85 €27.53

$9.19 RON 43.47

235.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 €56.6

$49.87 RON 236

27.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.03 €24.12

$24.99 RON 118

8.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 €8.87

$8.46 RON 40.01

17.49%

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

$772 €689

$639 RON 3,023

20.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €14.3K

$14.4K RON 68.1K

11.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €81.5

$90.6 RON 429

0.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.96 €41.90

$38.05 RON 180

23.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €109

$79.7 RON 377

53.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$93.2 RON 441

56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 €1,030

$673 RON 3,184

71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 €777

$449 RON 2,123

94.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 €1,849

$1,098 RON 5,195

88.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,398

$729 RON 3,448

114.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,020 €4,480

$3,740 RON 17.7K

34.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,647 €3,254

$2,189 RON 10.4K

66.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,174 €1,940

$1,323 RON 6,259

64.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

6.74

-52.67%

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

Last update for Bologna: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bologna

$871 40.2%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 48.5% $422

Groceries & Markets

Bologna

$363 16.8%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 39% $142

Eating Out

Bologna

$313 14.4%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 27.8% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bologna

$287 13.3%

Bucharest

$214 16% 25.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Bologna

$183 8.4%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 25.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bologna

$83 3.8%

Bucharest

$67 5% 19.8% $16

Getting Around

Bologna

$67 3.1%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 57.9% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,154 in Bologna 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 64% higher in Bologna, 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 $91.0 in Bologna versus $58.0 in Bucharest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $222 – making Bucharest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Bologna

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

05:23 5:23 AM

1 h ahead of Bologna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

386,663

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

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Between locations

Bologna Bucharest 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bologna
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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

Bologna vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bologna costs about 63% 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 $3,304 per month in Bologna 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.

Public transport costs about 105% less in Bucharest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $772 per month in Bologna and $639 in Bucharest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,351, than in Bologna at $2,203. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bologna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucharest costs $1,351 versus $2,203 in Bologna. 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, Bologna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.