Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $916 a month against $1,354 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,354

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Bacau

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

A single person spends $1,354 per month in Bucharest vs $916 in Bacau, rent included.

Bucharest $1,354
Bacau $916

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Bucharest vs $1,552 in Bacau, rent included.

Bucharest $2,043
Bacau $1,552

A family of three spends $2,733 per month in Bucharest vs $2,189 in Bacau, rent included.

Bucharest $2,733
Bacau $2,189

Bucharest costs about 48% more than Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.66 RON 70.5

$14.19 RON 68.2

3.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 277

$84.6 RON 407

-31.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 RON 36.13

$7.24 RON 34.80

3.87%

Cappuccino

$3.56 RON 17.09

$2.04 RON 9.81

74.51%

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

$2.47 RON 11.88

$2.01 RON 9.64

22.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 RON 10.50

$1.87 RON 8.98

16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 RON 17.72

$2.47 RON 11.88

49.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 RON 20.57

$3.34 RON 16.03

28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 8.04

$1.18 RON 5.68

41.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.49

$0.70 RON 3.35

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.53

$1.69 RON 8.12

5.33%

Eggs

$3.56 RON 17.12

$3.47 RON 16.67

2.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 RON 43.84

$7.68 RON 36.91

18.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 32.76

$5.33 RON 25.61

27.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 RON 58.3

$8.30 RON 39.88

46.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 RON 6.08

$1.10 RON 5.27

14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.80

$1.48 RON 7.12

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.49

$1.49 RON 7.14

4.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.21

$1.83 RON 8.80

38.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.76

$0.72 RON 3.48

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.72

$0.68 RON 3.29

13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 RON 4.27

$0.75 RON 3.58

18.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.32

$0.72 RON 3.45

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 31.48

$5.35 RON 25.71

22.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 RON 30.60

$5.25 RON 25.24

21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.97

$1.02 RON 4.90

21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.79

$1.17 RON 5.64

38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 4.10

$0.70 RON 3.35

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 RON 99.6

$29.15 RON 140

-28.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.95

$0.61 RON 2.94

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.95

$0.65 RON 3.12

-6.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 RON 29.62

$6.72 RON 32.31

-8.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 RON 9.60

$1.78 RON 8.55

12.36%

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

$27.9K RON 134.3K

$28.9K RON 138.9K

-3.28%

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

$25.3K RON 121.7K

$24.8K RON 119.4K

1.95%

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

$192 RON 923

$106 RON 509

81.27%

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

$7.92 RON 38.05

$7.47 RON 35.90

6.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 RON 43.05

$4.63 RON 22.25

93.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 240

$25.29 RON 122

97.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 RON 119

$15.98 RON 76.8

55.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 RON 40.88

$6.09 RON 29.25

39.74%

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

$686 RON 3,296

$589 RON 2,830

16.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 69.3K

$4,986 RON 24.0K

189.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 RON 434

$85.0 RON 409

6.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 RON 186

$31.98 RON 154

21.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 RON 379

$60.3 RON 290

30.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 RON 442

$83.2 RON 400

10.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 RON 3,418

$416 RON 1,999

70.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 RON 2,220

$236 RON 1,135

95.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 RON 5,063

$549 RON 2,636

92.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 RON 3,473

$405 RON 1,945

78.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,634 RON 17.5K

$1,805 RON 8,673

101.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,173 RON 10.4K

$1,229 RON 5,905

76.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,506

$936 RON 4,501

44.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.97

-3.16%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$462 34.1%

Bacau

$236 25.8% 48.9% $226

Eating Out

Bucharest

$228 16.9%

Bacau

$194 21.2% 14.8% $34

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.6%

Bacau

$177 19.3% 21.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$209 15.4%

Bacau

$118 12.9% 43.5% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$135 10%

Bacau

$117 12.8% 13.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Bacau

$37 4.1% 44.1% $30

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Bacau

$36 3.9% 28.7% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $711 in Bucharest versus $416 in Bacau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 45% higher in Bucharest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Bucharest versus $85 in Bacau. Groceries tell a different story – $225 in Bucharest vs $177 in Bacau – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

144,307

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bucharest Bacau 240 km

From you

Bucharest
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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 Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bucharest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Bucharest and $1,373 in Bacau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $711 in Bucharest.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Bucharest and $85 in Bacau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,354 in Bucharest and $916 in Bacau. That’s a gap of about 48%.

Families tend to lean toward Bacau – 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 Bacau. 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.