Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Alges

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $2,009 in Alges, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Alges
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Alges Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Alges

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Alges

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

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Bucharest vs $2,009 in Alges, rent included.

Bucharest $1,340
Alges $2,009

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Bucharest vs $2,853 in Alges, rent included.

Bucharest $2,037
Alges $2,853

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Bucharest vs $3,697 in Alges, rent included.

Bucharest $2,734
Alges $3,697

Bucharest is about 33% cheaper than Alges, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Bucharest sits 1% below the global median, while Alges is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$15.36 €13.66

-5.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$54.7 €48.68

6.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$9.41 €8.37

-20.51%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.64 €2.35

30.30%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.35 €2.09

0.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$2.25 €2.00

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$3.39 €3.01

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$5.54 €4.93

-24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.04 €0.93

60.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.96 €1.75

-30.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.23 €1.98

-22.87%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.42 €3.04

6.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$10.82 €9.63

-16.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$7.10 €6.31

-3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$14.95 €13.30

-19.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.85 €2.54

-56.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.37 €1.22

18.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.78 €1.59

-11.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.24 €2.00

13.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.56 €1.39

-49.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$2.23 €1.98

-65.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.54 €1.37

-43.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.78 €0.69

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.67 €5.05

11.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$4.90 €4.35

26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.16 €1.03

2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.09 €2.75

-49.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$2.26 €2.01

-61.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$44.01 €39.15

-52.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$4.56 €4.06

-85.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.99 €0.88

-39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$17.84 €15.87

-63.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.05 €1.83

-4.39%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$33.8K €30.1K

-14.19%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$38.1K €33.9K

-30.11%

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

$196 RON 927

$137 €122

43.39%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$24.63 €21.91

-67.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$56.3 €50.1

-83.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$44.85 €39.89

12.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$17.11 €15.22

48.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$7.20 €6.40

13.19%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$597 €531

5.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$18.7K €16.6K

-24.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$76.8 €68.3

16.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$33.38 €29.69

14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$90.7 €80.6

-12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$94.8 €84.3

-4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$1,240 €1,103

-45.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$1,055 €938

-57.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$2,047 €1,821

-47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$1,559 €1,386

-53.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,991 €2,660

25.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,264 €2,014

-3.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,229 €1,093

8.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.67

83.92%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alges: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Alges

$1.1K 52.5% 135% $606

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Alges

$229 11.4% 1.8% $4

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Alges

$253 12.6% 12.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Alges

$218 10.8% 2% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Alges

$133 6.6% 0.7% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Alges

$59 3% 11% $7.3

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Alges

$63 3.1% 122% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $678 in Bucharest versus $1,240 in Alges. 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 8% higher in Bucharest, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Bucharest versus $55.0 in Alges. Groceries tell a different story – $225 in Bucharest vs $253 in Alges – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇹 Alges

🕒 Local time

17:43 5:43 PM

15:43 3:43 PM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

19,327

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Bucharest Alges 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Alges

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 Alges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest, $2,009 in Alges – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,011 per month in Bucharest and $3,013 in Alges. 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.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Bucharest and $597 in Alges. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Alges, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,340, than in Alges at $2,009. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alges it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Alges has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,340 in Bucharest to $2,009 in Alges. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Alges makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.