Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Asti

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,585 in Asti, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. The total is higher in Asti despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Asti
Learn more

Asti Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Asti

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Asti

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,585 in Asti.

Bucharest $1,340
Asti $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,375 in Asti.

Bucharest $2,037
Asti $2,375

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,164 in Asti.

Bucharest $2,734
Asti $3,164

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 15% less than in Asti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Asti is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$17.05 €15.16

-15.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$66.1 €58.8

-12.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$11.17 €9.93

-33.03%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.83 €1.63

87.98%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$3.35 €2.98

-29.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.43 €1.27

60.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$6.58 €5.85

-43.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$4.39 €3.91

-5.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.72 €1.53

-2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$2.04 €1.82

-32.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$3.25 €2.89

-47.08%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$4.33 €3.86

-15.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$26.95 €23.98

-66.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$14.70 €13.08

-53.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$25.02 €22.26

-52.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.07 €1.84

-40.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.18 €1.94

-25.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.05 €2.71

-48.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$3.33 €2.96

-23.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$2.48 €2.21

-68.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$2.08 €1.85

-62.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.78 €1.58

-51.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.45 €0.40

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$6.50 €5.78

-2.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$5.90 €5.25

5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$2.03 €1.81

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.22 €1.98

-29.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.37 €1.22

-37.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$27.98 €24.89

-24.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$5.60 €4.98

-88.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$2.25 €2.00

-73.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$11.76 €10.46

-45.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.00 €1.78

-2.00%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$26.3K €23.4K

10.33%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$35.4K €31.5K

-24.75%

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

$196 RON 927

$173 €154

13.00%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$10.16 €9.04

-20.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$25.71 €22.87

-63.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$79.5 €70.7

-36.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$11.11 €9.88

127.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$9.71 €8.63

-16.07%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$556 €495

12.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$8,747 €7,781

61.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$94.1 €83.7

-4.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$38.30 €34.07

0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$86.4 €76.9

-8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$133 €119

-32.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$503 €448

34.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$416 €370

7.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$679 €604

59.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$491 €437

47.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,390 €2,125

56.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,364 €1,213

60.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,846 €1,642

-27.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.7

82.43%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Asti: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Asti

$416 26.2% 7.3% $33

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Asti

$253 15.9% 12.2% $27

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Asti

$400 25.2% 77.8% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Asti

$209 13.2% 1.9% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Asti

$159 10% 18.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Asti

$99 6.2% 48.6% $32

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Asti

$50 3.2% 78.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $503 in Asti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Asti pays 39% 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 $66.0 in Asti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $400 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇹 Asti

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

07:36 7:36 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

71,276

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Asti 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Asti

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 Asti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Asti. 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $503 in Asti. 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 $66.0 in Asti. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,585 in Asti – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,585 in Asti, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Asti. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Asti. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.