Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Aarau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $2,794 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
Learn more

Aarau Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Aarau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucharest and in Aarau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Bucharest vs $2,794 in Aarau, rent included.

Bucharest $1,340
Aarau $2,794

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Bucharest vs $4,568 in Aarau, rent included.

Bucharest $2,037
Aarau $4,568

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Bucharest vs $6,342 in Aarau, rent included.

Bucharest $2,734
Aarau $6,342

Bucharest is about 52% cheaper than Aarau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bucharest sits 1% below the global median, while Aarau is 107% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$29.07 CHF 23.94

-50.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$106 CHF 87.6

-45.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$17.63 CHF 14.52

-57.57%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$5.80 CHF 4.78

-40.69%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$5.22 CHF 4.30

-54.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$4.70 CHF 3.87

-51.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$6.15 CHF 5.06

-39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$6.60 CHF 5.44

-36.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$3.62 CHF 2.98

-62.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.59 CHF 2.13

-33.59%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$7.22 CHF 5.95

-49.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$30.30 CHF 24.96

-70.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-76.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$40.30 CHF 33.19

-70.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.89 CHF 2.38

-57.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.78 CHF 1.46

-8.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-35.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-53.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.66 CHF 1.37

-52.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-60.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-61.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$1.19 CHF 0.98

-16.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$10.86 CHF 8.94

-41.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$10.21 CHF 8.41

-39.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.86 CHF 2.36

-45.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$5.11 CHF 4.20

-83.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$146 CHF 120

-85.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$6.84 CHF 5.64

-90.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$3.32 CHF 2.74

-81.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$58.8 CHF 48.45

-89.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-11.71%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

-32.45%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

-32.18%

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

$196 RON 927

$120 CHF 98.9

63.11%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$30.84 CHF 25.40

-73.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$55.7 CHF 45.84

-83.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$97.9 CHF 80.6

-48.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$59.6 CHF 49.04

-57.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$21.42 CHF 17.64

-61.95%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$3,152 CHF 2,596

-80.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

-56.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$88.7 CHF 73.0

1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$70.6 CHF 58.2

-45.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$109 CHF 90.1

-27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$169 CHF 140

-46.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$1,277 CHF 1,052

-46.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$1,033 CHF 851

-56.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$2,290 CHF 1,886

-52.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$2,114 CHF 1,742

-65.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$11.8K CHF 9,759

-81.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$6,801 CHF 5,601

-80.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

2.31

192.21%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Aarau

$1K 37% 130% $585

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Aarau

$439 15.7% 94.8% $213

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Aarau

$588 21% 161% $363

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Aarau

$207 7.4% 3.1% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Aarau

$197 7.1% 47.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Aarau

$141 5% 112% $74

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Aarau

$190 6.8% 574% $162

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $678 in Bucharest versus $1,277 in Aarau. 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 412% higher in Aarau, 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 $58.0 in Bucharest versus $106 in Aarau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $588 – making Bucharest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇭 Aarau

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

00:30 12:30 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

21,191

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Aarau 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Aarau

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

Bucharest vs Aarau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 108% 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 $2,011 per month in Bucharest and $4,191 in Aarau. 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 593% less in Bucharest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Bucharest and $3,152 in Aarau. 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 $1,340, than in Aarau at $2,794. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucharest costs $1,340 versus $2,794 in Aarau. 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, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.