Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Baden

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Baden: $1,340 and $1,366 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Baden
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Baden Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Baden

🇦🇹 Austria

$1,366

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Baden

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

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Bucharest vs $1,366 in Baden, rent included.

Bucharest $1,340
Baden $1,366

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Bucharest vs $2,157 in Baden, rent included.

Bucharest $2,037
Baden $2,157

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Bucharest vs $2,949 in Baden, rent included.

Bucharest $2,734
Baden $2,949

Bucharest is about 2% cheaper than Baden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bucharest sits 1% below the global median, while Baden is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 69.1

$16.82 €15.03

-13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 277

$83.7 €74.8

-30.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.69

$11.08 €9.91

-32.49%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.42

$4.37 €3.90

-21.28%

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

$2.37 RON 11.31

$3.40 €3.04

-30.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.97

$2.84 €2.54

-19.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.65

$5.67 €5.07

-34.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.85

$5.68 €5.08

-26.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.96

$1.61 €1.43

3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.55

$2.48 €2.21

-44.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.20

$2.43 €2.18

-29.22%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.35

$3.23 €2.89

12.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 43.32

$21.89 €19.56

-58.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.61

$12.87 €11.50

-46.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 57.2

$21.23 €18.97

-43.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.85

$2.26 €2.02

-45.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.79

$1.83 €1.63

-10.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.51

$3.42 €3.06

-54.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.11

$4.10 €3.67

-38.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.78

$2.48 €2.22

-68.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.68

$2.16 €1.93

-64.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.16

$2.26 €2.02

-61.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.74

$1.28 €1.14

-22.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 30.09

$7.60 €6.79

-16.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.58

$9.15 €8.18

-32.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.67

$1.32 €1.18

-9.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.51

$2.30 €2.06

-31.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.11

$3.55 €3.17

-75.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 101

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.07

$5.43 €4.85

-88.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.88

$2.45 €2.19

-75.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.68

$30.78 €27.50

-79.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.33

$1.75 €1.57

12.00%

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

$29.0K RON 138.3K

$29.8K €26.6K

-2.60%

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

$26.6K RON 127.0K

$29.5K €26.4K

-9.85%

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

$196 RON 934

$340 €304

-42.46%

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

$8.04 RON 38.35

$15.62 €13.95

-48.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.57

$38.05 €34.00

-75.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 240

$74.3 €66.4

-32.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 121

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.86

$15.18 €13.57

-46.31%

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

$628 RON 2,995

$1,323 €1,182

-52.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 67.2K

$15.5K €13.8K

-8.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 427

$83.5 €74.6

7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 183

$58.5 €52.3

-34.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 378

$111 €99.2

-28.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 431

$127 €114

-29.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,235

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,138

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,166

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,457

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,340

$1,681 €1,502

-20.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.5

92.86%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Baden: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Baden

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Baden

$285 20.9% 26.5% $60

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Baden

$379 27.8% 68.6% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Baden

$394 28.8% 84.8% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Baden

$171 12.5% 27.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Baden

$105 7.7% 57.3% $38

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Baden

$32 * 2.3% 13.1% $3.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 26% higher in Baden, 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 $58.0 in Bucharest versus $84.0 in Baden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $379 – making Bucharest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇦🇹 Baden

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

01:00 1:00 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

25,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Baden 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Baden

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 Baden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest, $1,366 in Baden – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,011 per month in Bucharest and $2,049 in Baden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Bucharest and $84.0 in Baden. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Baden, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,340, than in Baden at $1,366. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bucharest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,340 in Bucharest to $1,366 in Baden. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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