Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Antrim

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $2,399 in Antrim, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,340
/mo nomad
Antrim
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Antrim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $2,399 in Antrim.

  • Bucharest $1,340
  • Antrim $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $3,581 in Antrim.

  • Bucharest $2,037
  • Antrim $3,581

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $4,764 in Antrim.

  • Bucharest $2,734
  • Antrim $4,764

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 44% less than in Antrim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Antrim is 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.49 RON 68.6
$24.19 £18.15
-40.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.1 RON 275
$92.8 £69.7
-37.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.48 RON 35.40
$10.54 £7.91
-29.03%
Cappuccino
$3.44 RON 16.29
$4.87 £3.65
-29.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 RON 11.22
$2.49 £1.87
-4.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 RON 10.88
$1.98 £1.49
16.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 RON 17.51
$7.70 £5.78
-51.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 RON 19.69
$7.77 £5.83
-46.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 RON 7.90
$1.76 £1.32
-5.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 RON 6.50
$2.31 £1.73
-40.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 RON 8.14
$2.22 £1.66
-22.52%
Eggs
$3.64 RON 17.22
$4.77 £3.58
-23.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.08 RON 42.98
$10.70 £8.02
-15.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.84 RON 32.35
$10.66 £8.00
-35.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.00 RON 56.8
$15.85 £11.89
-24.29%
Apples (1kg)
$1.23 RON 5.80
$2.97 £2.23
-58.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.73
$2.03 £1.52
-19.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$3.37 £2.53
-53.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 RON 12.01
$4.02 £3.02
-36.82%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 RON 3.75
$2.34 £1.75
-66.24%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.66
$1.59 £1.19
-51.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 RON 4.13
$1.38 £1.04
-36.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 RON 4.70
$1.84 £1.38
-46.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.31 RON 29.86
$23.69 £17.78
-73.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.20 RON 29.34
$12.07 £9.06
-48.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 RON 5.63
$3.09 £2.32
-61.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$3.22 £2.42
-51.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 RON 4.08
$7.05 £5.29
-87.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.10 RON 99.8
$97.3 £73.0
-78.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 RON 3.05
$4.68 £3.51
-86.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 RON 2.86
$1.81 £1.36
-66.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.43 RON 30.43
$28.75 £21.57
-77.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 RON 9.25
$2.04 £1.53
-3.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K RON 137.2K
$38.2K £28.7K
-24.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K RON 126.0K
$40.4K £30.3K
-34.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 RON 927
$273 £204
-28.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.04 RON 38.04
$16.75 £12.57
-52.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.35 RON 44.21
$46.41 £34.82
-79.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.2 RON 238
$33.38 £25.05
50.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.33 RON 120
$9.28 £6.96
172.95%
Cinema Ticket
$8.15 RON 38.55
$14.71 £11.03
-44.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 RON 2,971
$1,416 £1,062
-55.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.1K RON 66.6K
$18.0K £13.5K
-21.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.6 RON 424
$82.3 £61.8
8.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.32 RON 181
$46.38 £34.80
-17.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 RON 375
$109 £81.5
-26.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.4 RON 428
$102 £76.3
-11.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$678 RON 3,209
$1,217 £913
-44.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 RON 2,121
$1,007 £756
-55.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 RON 5,125
$2,106 £1,580
-48.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 RON 3,430
$1,661 £1,246
-56.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,751 RON 17.7K
$5,032 £3,775
-25.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,195 RON 10.4K
$3,856 £2,893
-43.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bucharest
Antrim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,329 RON 6,290
$2,952 £2,215
-54.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
4.91
37.47%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Antrim: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
$448
Antrim
$1K 125% $559
Eating Out
Bucharest
$225
Antrim
$356 57.9% $130
Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
$225
Antrim
$346 53.7% $121
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
$213
Antrim
$336 57.4% $122
Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
$134
Antrim
$153 13.9% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
$67
Antrim
$63 5.6% $3.7
Getting Around
Bucharest
$28
Antrim
$139 394% $111

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $1,217 in Antrim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antrim pays 122% 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 $93.0 in Antrim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $346 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🇬🇧 Antrim
🕒 Local time
18:53 6:53 PM
16:53 4:53 PM
2 h behind Bucharest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,883,425 Capital
20,001
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bucharest Antrim 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bucharest
  • Antrim

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 Antrim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Antrim cheaper than Bucharest?
Bucharest is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Bucharest or Antrim?
On paper, salaries run 122% lower in Antrim. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Bucharest and Antrim?
Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $1,217 in Antrim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Bucharest and in Antrim?
All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $2,399 in Antrim – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 361% less than in Antrim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Bucharest or in Antrim?
At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $2,399 in Antrim, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Antrim. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Bucharest or Antrim more family-friendly?
For families, Bucharest is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Antrim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Bucharest or Antrim?
Safety-wise, Bucharest and Antrim are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Antrim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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