Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Braila and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Braila: $1,152 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bucharest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

56

Cost of Living Index in Braila
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Braila Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Braila

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,152

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,152 in Braila versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

Braila $1,152
Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,735 in Braila versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

Braila $1,735
Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Braila versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

Braila $2,318
Bucharest $2,721

Living in Braila costs roughly 14% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Braila 15% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.91 RON 89.5

$14.45 RON 68.4

30.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.90 RON 189

$58.1 RON 275

-31.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 RON 42.89

$7.53 RON 35.65

20.32%

Cappuccino

$2.62 RON 12.40

$3.45 RON 16.33

-24.06%

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

$2.10 RON 9.92

$2.46 RON 11.65

-14.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 RON 8.34

$2.23 RON 10.54

-21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 RON 8.08

$3.76 RON 17.78

-54.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 RON 10.17

$4.19 RON 19.84

-48.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.50

$1.62 RON 7.67

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.75

$1.30 RON 6.13

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.89

$1.70 RON 8.05

-14.12%

Eggs

$3.31 RON 15.66

$3.79 RON 17.93

-12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 RON 40.05

$8.86 RON 41.90

-4.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 RON 34.92

$6.90 RON 32.67

6.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 RON 44.52

$12.14 RON 57.4

-22.49%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.67

$1.30 RON 6.17

-23.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 RON 6.92

$1.60 RON 7.55

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 RON 6.45

$1.57 RON 7.42

-13.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 RON 5.67

$2.68 RON 12.67

-55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.74

$0.81 RON 3.82

-2.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 RON 3.53

$0.79 RON 3.73

-5.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 RON 3.57

$0.91 RON 4.30

-16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 RON 3.96

$0.97 RON 4.58

-13.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 RON 30.55

$6.41 RON 30.34

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.94 RON 28.09

$6.18 RON 29.24

-3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 RON 4.65

$1.23 RON 5.83

-20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 RON 7.23

$1.67 RON 7.91

-8.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 RON 2.92

$0.87 RON 4.10

-28.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.94 RON 75.4

$20.98 RON 99.3

-24.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 RON 4.84

$0.66 RON 3.10

54.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 RON 3.51

$0.60 RON 2.85

23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 RON 32.39

$6.19 RON 29.28

10.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.35

$1.93 RON 9.15

-19.69%

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

$26.9K RON 127.3K

$28.7K RON 135.9K

-6.37%

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

$30.5K RON 144.3K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

15.82%

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

$141 RON 665

$196 RON 926

-28.13%

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

$8.31 RON 39.31

$8.49 RON 40.19

-2.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.12 RON 62.1

$9.05 RON 42.84

44.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.16 RON 152

$49.54 RON 234

-35.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.47 RON 68.5

$25.03 RON 118

-42.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 RON 34.26

$8.24 RON 39.01

-12.14%

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

$369 RON 1,743

$636 RON 3,007

-42.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,563 RON 40.5K

$14.6K RON 69.0K

-41.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 RON 470

$88.5 RON 419

12.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 RON 287

$38.77 RON 183

56.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 RON 442

$78.8 RON 373

18.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 RON 592

$90.6 RON 428

38.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 RON 1,848

$695 RON 3,288

-43.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 RON 1,457

$446 RON 2,109

-30.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 RON 2,539

$1,084 RON 5,130

-50.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 RON 2,094

$712 RON 3,368

-37.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 RON 9,133

$3,797 RON 18.0K

-49.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,316 RON 6,226

$2,202 RON 10.4K

-40.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$855 RON 4,045

$1,354 RON 6,406

-36.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.3

6.75

22.96%

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

Last update for Braila: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Braila

$308 26.7%

Bucharest

$446 33.3% 44.7% $138

Eating Out

Braila

$238 20.7%

Bucharest

$226 16.9% 5.3% $13

Groceries & Markets

Braila

$204 17.7%

Bucharest

$225 16.9% 10.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Braila

$170 14.8%

Bucharest

$133 10% 21.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Braila

$162 14.1%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 31.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Braila

$47 4.1%

Bucharest

$66 4.9% 41.5% $19

Getting Around

Braila

$23 2%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 21.5% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Braila and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 58% 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: $40.00 in Braila vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $225 per month, with Braila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Braila

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

Same time as Braila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,302

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Braila Bucharest 170 km

From you

Braila
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

Braila vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Braila wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Bucharest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Braila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 58% 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: $391 in Braila versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braila runs roughly 32% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $369 in Braila versus $636 in Bucharest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,152 in Braila versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Braila but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Braila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Braila delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,152 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Braila hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Braila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.