Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bordeaux and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,062 in Bordeaux, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Bordeaux
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Bordeaux Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bordeaux

🇫🇷 France

$2,062

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,062 per month in Bordeaux vs $1,351 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bordeaux $2,062
Bucharest $1,351

A couple spends around $3,225 per month in Bordeaux vs $2,033 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bordeaux $3,225
Bucharest $2,033

A family of three spends $4,388 per month in Bordeaux vs $2,715 in Bucharest, rent included.

Bordeaux $4,388
Bucharest $2,715

Bordeaux costs about 53% more than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bordeaux and Bucharest sit above the global median – Bordeaux by 54%, Bucharest by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 €18.21

$14.46 RON 68.4

41.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 €71.2

$57.7 RON 273

38.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.30 €12.76

$7.50 RON 35.46

90.67%

Cappuccino

$4.01 €3.58

$3.43 RON 16.20

16.91%

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

$2.84 €2.54

$2.46 RON 11.63

15.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.33 RON 11.01

-41.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 €7.11

$3.80 RON 17.97

109.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 €5.88

$4.10 RON 19.41

60.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.65 RON 7.79

-26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.35 RON 6.39

45.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$1.78 RON 8.42

70.22%

Eggs

$3.68 €3.28

$3.66 RON 17.33

0.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 €12.17

$8.57 RON 40.54

59.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 €14.52

$6.80 RON 32.17

139.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.80 €18.56

$11.72 RON 55.4

77.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 €2.94

$1.29 RON 6.11

155.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.56 RON 7.37

42.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 €3.21

$1.54 RON 7.28

133.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 €3.96

$2.48 RON 11.75

78.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.83 RON 3.92

174.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 €2.62

$0.80 RON 3.77

266.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.84 RON 3.98

63.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.93 RON 4.39

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.98 €11.58

$6.44 RON 30.45

101.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 €9.10

$6.32 RON 29.91

61.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.99 €3.56

$1.26 RON 5.94

216.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 €3.67

$1.60 RON 7.59

157.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.85

$0.81 RON 3.85

155.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.00 €42.84

$21.13 RON 99.9

127.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 €1.98

$0.60 RON 2.86

270.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 €1.63

$0.61 RON 2.91

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.21 €34.10

$6.17 RON 29.19

519.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.96 RON 9.27

9.18%

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

$34.6K €30.9K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

22.81%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

32.19%

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

$254 €227

$197 RON 931

29.28%

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

$15.39 €13.74

$8.34 RON 39.44

84.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.66 €27.36

$9.19 RON 43.47

233.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.16 €29.59

$49.87 RON 236

-33.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.91 €24.91

$24.99 RON 118

11.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 €10.52

$8.46 RON 40.01

39.36%

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

$786 €701

$639 RON 3,023

22.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €12.2K

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-4.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €105

$90.6 RON 429

30.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.62 €39.82

$38.05 RON 180

17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.6

$79.7 RON 377

35.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €129

$93.2 RON 441

55.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 €823

$673 RON 3,184

36.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 €673

$449 RON 2,123

67.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 €1,561

$1,098 RON 5,195

59.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 €1,213

$729 RON 3,448

86.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,921 €6,177

$3,740 RON 17.7K

85.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,739 €4,229

$2,189 RON 10.4K

116.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,129 €2,792

$1,323 RON 6,259

136.45%

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 Bordeaux: 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

Bordeaux

$754 36.4%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 40.5% $305

Groceries & Markets

Bordeaux

$383 18.5%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 42.2% $162

Eating Out

Bordeaux

$324 15.6%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 30.4% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bordeaux

$301 14.5%

Bucharest

$214 16% 28.7% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Bordeaux

$187 9%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 27.4% $51

Getting Around

Bordeaux

$68 3.3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 58.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Bordeaux

$57 2.7%

Bucharest

$67 5% 17.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $922 in Bordeaux 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 136% higher in Bordeaux, 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 $80.0 in Bordeaux versus $58.0 in Bucharest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $222 – making Bucharest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Bordeaux

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

07:24 7:24 AM

08:24 8:24 AM

1 h ahead of Bordeaux

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

261,804

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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Bordeaux Bucharest 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Bordeaux vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bordeaux costs about 53% 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 $3,092 per month in Bordeaux 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 127% less in Bucharest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $786 per month in Bordeaux 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 Bordeaux at $2,062. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bordeaux it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucharest costs $1,351 versus $2,062 in Bordeaux. 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, Bordeaux makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.