Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Alhaurin el Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,634 in Alhaurin el Grande, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Alhaurin el Grande
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Alhaurin el Grande Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Alhaurin el Grande

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Alhaurin el Grande

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 Alhaurin el Grande actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Bucharest vs $1,634 in Alhaurin el Grande, rent included.

Bucharest $1,340
Alhaurin el Grande $1,634

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Bucharest vs $2,335 in Alhaurin el Grande, rent included.

Bucharest $2,037
Alhaurin el Grande $2,335

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Bucharest vs $3,036 in Alhaurin el Grande, rent included.

Bucharest $2,734
Alhaurin el Grande $3,036

Bucharest is about 18% cheaper than Alhaurin el Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bucharest sits 1% below the global median, while Alhaurin el Grande is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$16.92 €15.05

-14.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$57.0 €50.7

1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$11.44 €10.17

-34.62%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.41 €2.14

42.74%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.54 €2.26

-6.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.80 €1.60

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$3.38 €3.01

9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.57 €3.17

16.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.18 €1.05

41.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.43 €1.27

-4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.62 €1.44

6.17%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.19 €2.83

14.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$13.45 €11.96

-32.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$8.07 €7.18

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$15.49 €13.78

-22.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.55 €2.27

-51.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.05 €1.82

-20.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.92 €1.71

-18.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.54 €2.26

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.82 €1.62

-56.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$2.02 €1.80

-61.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.34 €1.19

-35.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.67 €0.60

47.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$6.13 €5.46

2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$5.49 €4.88

12.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.23 €1.09

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.12 €1.89

-25.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.68 €1.49

-48.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$32.73 €29.11

-35.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$4.08 €3.63

-84.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.41 €1.26

-57.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$22.82 €20.30

-71.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.79 €1.60

9.50%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$35.0K €31.1K

-17.09%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$29.2K €25.9K

-8.69%

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

$196 RON 927

$143 €127

37.01%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$18.49 €16.44

-56.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$30.42 €27.06

-69.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$44.76 €39.81

12.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$15.80 €14.06

60.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$8.90 €7.92

-8.43%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$473 €421

32.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$8,518 €7,575

65.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$86.5 €77.0

3.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$36.26 €32.25

5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$90.4 €80.4

-12.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$114 €102

-21.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$785 €698

-13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$679 €604

-33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,143 €1,016

-5.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$856 €762

-15.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$3,278 €2,916

14.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,210 €1,966

-0.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,132 €1,007

17.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.3

104.55%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alhaurin el Grande: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Alhaurin el Grande

$679 41.6% 51.5% $231

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Alhaurin el Grande

$240 14.7% 6.5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Alhaurin el Grande

$262 16.1% 16.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Alhaurin el Grande

$192 11.8% 10% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Alhaurin el Grande

$147 9% 10.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Alhaurin el Grande

$63 3.8% 6% $4

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Alhaurin el Grande

$51 3.1% 79.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $678 in Bucharest versus $785 in Alhaurin el Grande. 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 17% 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 $57.0 in Alhaurin el Grande. Groceries tell a different story – $225 in Bucharest vs $262 in Alhaurin el Grande – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇪🇸 Alhaurin el Grande

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

21:10 9:10 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

26,879

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Alhaurin el Grande 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Alhaurin el Grande

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 Alhaurin el Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest, $1,634 in Alhaurin el Grande – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,011 per month in Bucharest and $2,450 in Alhaurin el Grande. 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.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Alhaurin el Grande, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Bucharest and $57.0 in Alhaurin el Grande. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,340, than in Alhaurin el Grande at $1,634. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alhaurin el Grande it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bucharest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,340 in Bucharest to $1,634 in Alhaurin el Grande. 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, Alhaurin el Grande makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.