Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Askim

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $2,808 in Askim, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Askim
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Askim Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Askim

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Askim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $2,808 in Askim.

Bucharest $1,337
Askim $2,808

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $4,262 in Askim.

Bucharest $2,029
Askim $4,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $5,717 in Askim.

Bucharest $2,721
Askim $5,717

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 52% less than in Askim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Askim is 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$20.69 NOK 195

-30.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$125 NOK 1,177

-53.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$15.56 NOK 146

-51.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$5.87 NOK 55.3

-41.23%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$4.19 NOK 39.43

-41.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$3.45 NOK 32.47

-35.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$11.55 NOK 109

-67.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$12.45 NOK 117

-66.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$2.44 NOK 22.94

-33.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$4.23 NOK 39.81

-69.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$4.53 NOK 42.62

-62.47%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$6.01 NOK 56.6

-36.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$14.63 NOK 138

-39.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$15.70 NOK 148

-56.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$31.27 NOK 294

-61.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$3.39 NOK 31.93

-61.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$2.59 NOK 24.42

-38.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$3.39 NOK 31.96

-53.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$5.94 NOK 55.9

-54.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$2.76 NOK 25.95

-70.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$2.90 NOK 27.34

-72.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$3.09 NOK 29.11

-70.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$2.39 NOK 22.47

-59.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$19.01 NOK 179

-66.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$16.31 NOK 154

-62.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$3.54 NOK 33.31

-65.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$4.33 NOK 40.76

-61.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$4.54 NOK 42.73

-80.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$84.4 NOK 794

-75.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$11.72 NOK 110

-94.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$1.84 NOK 17.34

-67.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$68.5 NOK 644

-90.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$2.36 NOK 22.18

-18.22%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$49.0K NOK 460.8K

-41.31%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$37.9K NOK 356.3K

-30.44%

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

$196 RON 926

$417 NOK 3,928

-53.12%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$33.62 NOK 316

-74.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$53.4 NOK 503

-83.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$50.2 NOK 472

-1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$36.88 NOK 347

-32.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$15.42 NOK 145

-46.56%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$238 NOK 2,245

166.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$15.3K NOK 143.9K

-4.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$100 NOK 942

-11.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$59.8 NOK 563

-35.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$133 NOK 1,248

-40.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$158 NOK 1,487

-42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$1,194 NOK 11.2K

-41.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$986 NOK 9,280

-54.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$1,969 NOK 18.5K

-44.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$1,679 NOK 15.8K

-57.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$6,007 NOK 56.6K

-36.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$4,059 NOK 38.2K

-45.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

$4,161 NOK 39.2K

-67.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.94

36.64%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Askim: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Askim

$986 35.1% 121% $540

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Askim

$396 14.1% 75.5% $170

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Askim

$515 18.3% 128% $289

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Askim

$504 18% 137% $291

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Askim

$203 7.2% 51.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Askim

$81 2.9% 22.7% $15

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Askim

$123 4.4% 339% $95

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $1,194 in Askim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Askim pays 207% 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 $125 in Askim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $515 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇳🇴 Askim

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

15,368

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Askim 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Askim

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 Askim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Askim differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $2,808 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 207% lower in Askim. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Bucharest versus $1,194 in Askim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bucharest – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $125 in Askim. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $2,808 in Askim – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $2,808 in Askim, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Askim. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Askim 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Askim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.