Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and the Azores

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,371 a month against $1,611 in the Azores, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bucharest, Romania
Azores, Portugal
Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,371
/mo nomad
Azores
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,611
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in the Azores

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

A single person spends $1,371 per month in Bucharest vs $1,611 in the Azores, rent included.

  • Bucharest $1,371
  • Azores $1,611

A couple spends around $2,067 per month in Bucharest vs $2,363 in the Azores, rent included.

  • Bucharest $2,067
  • Azores $2,363

A family of three spends $2,764 per month in Bucharest vs $3,115 in the Azores, rent included.

  • Bucharest $2,764
  • Azores $3,115

Bucharest is about 15% cheaper than the Azores, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.51 RON 69.0
$11.36 €10.11
27.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 RON 291
$45.56 €40.56
34.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.46 RON 35.46
$9.31 €8.29
-19.87%
Cappuccino
$3.64 RON 17.31
$2.06 €1.84
76.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 RON 12.43
$1.92 €1.71
36.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 RON 11.23
$1.36 €1.21
73.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.78 RON 17.98
$2.32 €2.07
62.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.11 RON 19.52
$3.38 €3.01
21.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 RON 7.89
$1.09 €0.97
52.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 RON 6.64
$1.59 €1.41
-11.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.79 RON 8.53
$1.68 €1.50
6.55%
Eggs
$3.63 RON 17.25
$2.98 €2.65
21.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.92 RON 42.38
$11.26 €10.02
-20.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.86 RON 32.62
$7.93 €7.06
-13.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.99 RON 57.0
$14.24 €12.68
-15.80%
Apples (1kg)
$1.30 RON 6.16
$2.40 €2.14
-45.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.76
$1.42 €1.26
14.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 RON 7.09
$1.87 €1.67
-20.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 RON 12.08
$2.47 €2.20
2.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 RON 3.86
$1.53 €1.36
-47.06%
Onion (1kg)
$0.80 RON 3.78
$1.86 €1.65
-56.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.86 RON 4.07
$1.54 €1.37
-44.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 RON 4.46
$0.85 €0.76
10.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.60 RON 31.38
$5.93 €5.28
11.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.33 RON 30.08
$5.21 €4.64
21.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 RON 5.64
$1.31 €1.17
-9.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 RON 7.53
$2.37 €2.11
-33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.98 RON 4.64
$2.35 €2.09
-58.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.91 RON 99.4
$42.18 €37.56
-50.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.60 RON 2.86
$4.10 €3.65
-85.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.62 RON 2.93
$0.68 €0.61
-8.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.37 RON 30.25
$17.33 €15.43
-63.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 RON 9.62
$1.98 €1.76
2.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K RON 134.0K
$34.7K €30.9K
-18.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K RON 124.8K
$40.1K €35.7K
-34.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 RON 932
$136 €121
43.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.60 RON 40.84
$21.36 €19.02
-59.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.20 RON 43.69
$41.95 €37.36
-78.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 RON 242
$44.76 €39.85
14.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.04 RON 119
$17.38 €15.47
44.07%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 RON 39.27
$8.20 €7.30
0.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$681 RON 3,234
$459 €409
48.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K RON 89.0K
$8,312 €7,401
125.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.3 RON 443
$74.7 €66.5
24.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.87 RON 189
$38.06 €33.89
4.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.1 RON 381
$92.8 €82.6
-13.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.6 RON 431
$92.4 €82.3
-1.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$731 RON 3,473
$912 €812
-19.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$470 RON 2,232
$734 €653
-35.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,110 RON 5,276
$1,500 €1,336
-25.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 RON 3,431
$1,168 €1,040
-38.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,749 RON 17.8K
$3,004 €2,675
24.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,233 RON 10.6K
$2,333 €2,077
-4.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bucharest
Azores
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,365 RON 6,487
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
5.01
34.73%

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

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Last update for the Azores: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
$470
Azores
$734 56.2% $264
Eating Out
Bucharest
$229
Azores
$175 23.7% $54
Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
$225
Azores
$248 10.5% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
$214
Azores
$200 6.6% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
$137
Azores
$134 2% $2.7
Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
$68
Azores
$61 9.5% $6.4
Getting Around
Bucharest
$29
Azores
$59 107% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $731 in Bucharest versus $912 in the Azores. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Bucharest versus $46 in the Azores. Groceries tell a different story – $225 in Bucharest vs $248 in the Azores – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🇵🇹 Azores
🕒 Local time
07:42 7:42 AM
04:42 4:42 AM
3 h behind Bucharest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,883,425 Capital
236,657
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.33 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bucharest Azores 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bucharest
  • Azores

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 Azores: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bucharest cheaper than the Azores?
Yes – Azores is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,056 per month in Bucharest and $2,417 in the Azores. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucharest, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $731 there versus $912 in the Azores.
How do food prices compare in Bucharest and in the Azores?
Groceries cost about 10% more in the Azores, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Bucharest or in the Azores?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Bucharest and $46 in the Azores. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough for either Bucharest or Azores?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,371 in Bucharest and $1,611 in the Azores, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Bucharest vs other spots: cost of living compared

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