Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Arugam Bay

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 69.2

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 276

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.84

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.38

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

$2.46 RON 11.76

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.13

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 18.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.62

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.87

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.46

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.51

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.52

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.98

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.52

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 56.0

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.18

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.45

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.36

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.87

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.96

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.81

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 4.03

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.78

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 30.23

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 6.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.89

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 101

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.89

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.51

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.37

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

$28.1K RON 134.6K

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

$26.3K RON 125.7K

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

$197 RON 941

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

$8.34 RON 39.87

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.94

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 119

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.45

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

$639 RON 3,056

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 433

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 182

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 446

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,219

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,146

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,251

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,485

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,327

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Arugam Bay

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Arugam Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Arugam Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Arugam Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Arugam Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Arugam Bay

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Arugam Bay

–

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

14:06 2:06 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

5,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.36 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Bucharest Arugam Bay 6,800 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Bucharest
Arugam Bay

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 Arugam Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Arugam Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Arugam Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bucharest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.