Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brescia and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,206 in Brescia, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Brescia
Learn more

Brescia Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Brescia

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,206

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Brescia versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Brescia $2,206
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Brescia versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Brescia $3,384
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,562 in Brescia versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Brescia $4,562
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Brescia is roughly 63% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brescia 65% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.09

$14.46 RON 68.4

55.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 €76.5

$57.7 RON 273

48.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.44 €12.89

$7.50 RON 35.46

92.53%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.27

$3.43 RON 16.20

-25.66%

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

$3.45 €3.08

$2.46 RON 11.63

40.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$2.33 RON 11.01

-27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €6.06

$3.80 RON 17.97

78.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 €6.15

$4.10 RON 19.41

68.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.65 RON 7.79

24.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 €3.02

$1.35 RON 6.39

151.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$1.78 RON 8.42

75.28%

Eggs

$4.35 €3.88

$3.66 RON 17.33

18.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.63 €21.08

$8.57 RON 40.54

175.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.62 €11.27

$6.80 RON 32.17

85.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.49 €20.96

$11.72 RON 55.4

100.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.59

$1.29 RON 6.11

124.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.56 RON 7.37

51.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.54 RON 7.28

61.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 €3.38

$2.48 RON 11.75

52.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.83 RON 3.92

163.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$0.80 RON 3.77

161.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.54

$0.84 RON 3.98

104.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.93 RON 4.39

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.02 €6.27

$6.44 RON 30.45

9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.05

$6.32 RON 29.91

42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.29

$1.26 RON 5.94

103.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.14

$1.60 RON 7.59

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 €1.67

$0.81 RON 3.85

130.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.40 €39.62

$21.13 RON 99.9

110.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.71 €8.67

$0.60 RON 2.86

1518.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 €1.46

$0.61 RON 2.91

168.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.86 €27.54

$6.17 RON 29.19

400.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.96 RON 9.27

8.16%

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

$36.4K €32.4K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

29.15%

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

$37.3K €33.3K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

41.94%

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

$329 €293

$197 RON 931

66.97%

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

$14.09 €12.58

$8.34 RON 39.44

68.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.55 €27.26

$9.19 RON 43.47

232.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.30 €37.75

$49.87 RON 236

-15.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.97 €24.07

$24.99 RON 118

7.92%

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 €14.28

$8.46 RON 40.01

89.13%

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

$914 €816

$639 RON 3,023

43.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.9K

$14.4K RON 68.1K

16.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 €109

$90.6 RON 429

34.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.71 €39.90

$38.05 RON 180

17.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$79.7 RON 377

43.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €146

$93.2 RON 441

74.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 €843

$673 RON 3,184

40.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 €670

$449 RON 2,123

67.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 €1,689

$1,098 RON 5,195

72.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 €1,227

$729 RON 3,448

88.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,389 €3,024

$3,740 RON 17.7K

-9.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 €1,987

$2,189 RON 10.4K

1.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,989 €1,775

$1,323 RON 6,259

50.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

6.74

-48.52%

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

Last update for Brescia: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brescia

$751 34.2%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 40.2% $302

Groceries & Markets

Brescia

$406 18.5%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 45.4% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brescia

$373 17%

Bucharest

$214 16% 42.6% $159

Eating Out

Brescia

$322 14.7%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 30% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Brescia

$200 9.1%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 32.1% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Brescia

$74 3.4%

Bucharest

$67 5% 10.1% $7.5

Getting Around

Brescia

$70 3.2%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 59.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Brescia and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brescia pays 50% 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: $86.0 in Brescia vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $222 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Brescia

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

09:15 9:15 AM

1 h ahead of Brescia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

187,567

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brescia Bucharest 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Brescia
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

Brescia vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Brescia. 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 50% higher in Brescia, 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: $944 in Brescia versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bucharest – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $86.0 in Brescia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,206 per month in Brescia versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,206 in Brescia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Brescia. 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 $1,351 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bucharest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brescia 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 63% less than in Brescia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.