Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Ad Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,217 a month against $1,354 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
Learn more

Ad Dammam Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,354

/mo nomad

Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Ad Dammam

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 Ad Dammam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Bucharest versus $1,217 in Ad Dammam.

Bucharest $1,354
Ad Dammam $1,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Bucharest versus $1,838 in Ad Dammam.

Bucharest $2,043
Ad Dammam $1,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Bucharest versus $2,460 in Ad Dammam.

Bucharest $2,733
Ad Dammam $2,460

Living in Bucharest is roughly 11% more expensive than in Ad Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.66 RON 70.5

$7.12 SAR 26.74

105.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 277

$34.16 SAR 128

68.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 RON 36.13

$6.82 SAR 25.59

10.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

Cappuccino

$3.56 RON 17.09

$3.02 SAR 11.32

17.88%

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

$2.47 RON 11.88

$0.78 SAR 2.94

216.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 RON 10.50

$0.17 SAR 0.63

1182.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 RON 17.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 RON 20.57

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 8.04

$1.73 SAR 6.51

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.49

$1.29 SAR 4.85

4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.53

$1.94 SAR 7.29

-8.25%

Eggs

$3.56 RON 17.12

$2.18 SAR 8.20

63.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 RON 43.84

$7.60 SAR 28.52

20.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 32.76

$7.83 SAR 29.37

-12.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 RON 58.3

$12.77 SAR 47.91

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 RON 6.08

$2.22 SAR 8.33

-43.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.80

$1.71 SAR 6.42

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.49

$1.64 SAR 6.15

-4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.21

$1.58 SAR 5.94

60.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.76

$1.12 SAR 4.21

-30.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.72

$1.16 SAR 4.35

-33.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 RON 4.27

$1.33 SAR 4.98

-33.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.62 SAR 2.31

45.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.23

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 31.48

$7.58 SAR 28.46

-13.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 RON 30.60

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 4.10

$0.91 SAR 3.41

-6.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 RON 99.6

$38.54 SAR 145

-46.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.95

$2.74 SAR 10.27

-77.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.95

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-77.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 RON 29.62

$13.10 SAR 49.15

-52.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 RON 9.60

$0.64 SAR 2.40

212.50%

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

$27.9K RON 134.3K

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

-3.88%

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

$25.3K RON 121.7K

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

18.03%

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

$192 RON 923

$131 SAR 493

46.31%

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

$7.92 RON 38.05

$32.48 SAR 122

-75.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 RON 43.05

$62.9 SAR 236

-85.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 240

$72.9 SAR 273

-31.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 RON 119

$28.56 SAR 107

-13.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 RON 40.88

$13.54 SAR 50.8

-37.15%

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

$686 RON 3,296

$416 SAR 1,559

65.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 69.3K

$8,051 SAR 30.2K

79.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 RON 434

$42.09 SAR 158

114.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 RON 186

$50.5 SAR 189

-23.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 RON 379

$96.1 SAR 361

-17.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 RON 442

$92.6 SAR 347

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 RON 3,418

$535 SAR 2,008

32.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 RON 2,220

$387 SAR 1,450

19.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 RON 5,063

$970 SAR 3,640

8.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 RON 3,473

$670 SAR 2,512

7.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,634 RON 17.5K

$962 SAR 3,610

277.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,173 RON 10.4K

$707 SAR 2,653

207.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,506

$1,475 SAR 5,536

-8.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.9

14.41%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$462 34.1%

Ad Dammam

$386 31.8% 16.3% $75

Eating Out

Bucharest

$228 16.9%

Ad Dammam

$117 9.7% 48.5% $111

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.6%

Ad Dammam

$201 16.5% 10.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$209 15.4%

Ad Dammam

$227 18.6% 8.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$135 10%

Ad Dammam

$127 10.4% 6.2% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Ad Dammam

$100 8.2% 49.2% $33

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Ad Dammam

$59 4.8% 111% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $711 in Bucharest and $535 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58 in Bucharest vs $34 in Ad Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $201 per month, with Ad Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

23:47 11:47 PM

1 h ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

903,312

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Ad Dammam 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Ad Dammam

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 Ad Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Bucharest. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $711 in Bucharest versus $535 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,354 per month in Bucharest versus $1,217 in Ad Dammam – Ad Dammam is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 46% less than in Ad Dammam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ad Dammam is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.