Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Algiers

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $594 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Algiers
Learn more

Algiers Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Algiers

🇩🇿 Algeria

$594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Algiers

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $594 in Algiers.

Bucharest $1,351
Algiers $594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $974 in Algiers.

Bucharest $2,033
Algiers $974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $1,354 in Algiers.

Bucharest $2,715
Algiers $1,354

Living in Bucharest is roughly 127% more expensive than in Algiers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Algiers is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.9

$3.45 DZD 461

319.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 275

$28.50 DZD 3,811

102.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.72

$4.28 DZD 572

75.23%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.32

$1.11 DZD 149

209.01%

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

$2.46 RON 11.72

$0.60 DZD 80.7

310.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.09

$0.27 DZD 35.79

762.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 18.10

$2.23 DZD 298

70.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.56

$2.20 DZD 295

86.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.85

$0.90 DZD 121

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.44

$0.14 DZD 18.69

864.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.48

$1.10 DZD 147

61.82%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.46

$1.26 DZD 168

190.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.84

$7.99 DZD 1,069

7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.41

$4.02 DZD 538

69.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.8

$14.57 DZD 1,949

-19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.16

$2.03 DZD 272

-36.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.43

$2.70 DZD 361

-42.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.34

$1.07 DZD 144

43.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.84

$0.93 DZD 124

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$0.58 DZD 77.4

43.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.80

$0.45 DZD 60.4

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 4.01

$0.77 DZD 103

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.42

$0.27 DZD 36.38

244.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.68

$3.19 DZD 426

101.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 30.13

$6.53 DZD 874

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.99

$1.28 DZD 171

-1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.65

$1.88 DZD 252

-14.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.88

$0.36 DZD 48.47

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 101

$6.75 DZD 902

213.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.88

$0.55 DZD 73.5

9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.93

$0.47 DZD 63.0

29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.41

$5.71 DZD 763

8.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.34

$0.36 DZD 47.67

444.44%

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

$28.1K RON 134.2K

$35.0K DZD 4.7M

-19.57%

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

$26.3K RON 125.3K

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

-22.46%

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

$197 RON 938

$43.39 DZD 5,803

353.68%

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

$8.34 RON 39.74

$9.87 DZD 1,320

-15.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.80

$12.32 DZD 1,648

-25.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 238

$24.45 DZD 3,270

103.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 119

$27.00 DZD 3,612

-7.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.31

$4.54 DZD 607

86.34%

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

$639 RON 3,046

$547 DZD 73.1K

16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.6K

$6,264 DZD 837.8K

129.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 432

$31.71 DZD 4,241

185.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 181

$35.33 DZD 4,725

7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 380

$69.9 DZD 9,355

13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 444

$79.2 DZD 10.6K

17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,209

$163 DZD 21.8K

313.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,139

$130 DZD 17.4K

244.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,234

$440 DZD 58.8K

149.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,474

$244 DZD 32.6K

199.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.8K

$2,547 DZD 340.6K

46.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$1,373 DZD 183.6K

59.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,306

$330 DZD 44.1K

301.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

5.3

27.17%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Algiers: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Algiers

$130 22.3% 71% $319

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Algiers

$73 12.4% 67.7% $153

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Algiers

$175 29.9% 21% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Algiers

$66 11.2% 69.4% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Algiers

$97 16.6% 28.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Algiers

$34 5.7% 49.8% $33

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Algiers

$11 1.9% 60.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $163 in Algiers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 301% 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: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $28.00 in Algiers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $175 per month, with Algiers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇩🇿 Algiers

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

03:46 3:46 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

3,415,811 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Algiers 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Algiers

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 Algiers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Algiers is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 301% higher in Bucharest, 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $163 in Algiers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $58.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $594 in Algiers – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $594 in Algiers versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Algiers is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bucharest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Algiers 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 Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.