Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Balzers

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $3,242 in Balzers, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 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
155

Cost of Living Index in Balzers
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Balzers Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Balzers

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$3,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Balzers

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $3,242 in Balzers.

Bucharest $1,351
Balzers $3,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $5,014 in Balzers.

Bucharest $2,033
Balzers $5,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $6,786 in Balzers.

Bucharest $2,715
Balzers $6,786

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 58% less than in Balzers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 1% above, Balzers 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$30.43 CHF 25.26

-52.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$119 CHF 98.6

-51.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$21.49 CHF 17.83

-65.10%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$5.56 CHF 4.62

-38.31%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$6.03 CHF 5.00

-59.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$5.36 CHF 4.44

-56.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$7.10 CHF 5.89

-46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$7.11 CHF 5.90

-42.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$2.60 CHF 2.16

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$2.96 CHF 2.45

-54.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$2.69 CHF 2.23

-33.83%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$12.03 CHF 9.99

-69.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$25.01 CHF 20.76

-65.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$23.41 CHF 19.43

-70.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$48.70 CHF 40.42

-75.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$3.45 CHF 2.87

-62.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$3.82 CHF 3.17

-59.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$4.07 CHF 3.37

-62.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$2.56 CHF 2.13

-3.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$2.34 CHF 1.94

-64.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$2.10 CHF 1.74

-61.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$2.06 CHF 1.71

-59.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$1.58 CHF 1.32

-41.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$12.10 CHF 10.04

-46.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$13.67 CHF 11.35

-53.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.99 CHF 1.65

-36.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.72 CHF 1.43

-6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$3.49 CHF 2.90

-76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$81.4 CHF 67.6

-74.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.79 CHF 1.48

-66.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$5.86 CHF 4.86

-89.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$8.34 CHF 6.92

-26.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$2.14 CHF 1.78

-8.41%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$33.8K CHF 28.1K

-16.77%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$32.2K CHF 26.7K

-18.34%

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

$197 RON 931

$216 CHF 179

-8.94%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$39.00 CHF 32.37

-78.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$70.7 CHF 58.7

-87.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$92.7 CHF 77.0

-46.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$24.01 CHF 19.93

4.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$24.20 CHF 20.08

-65.04%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$296 CHF 245

116.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$8,624 CHF 7,158

66.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$126 CHF 104

-27.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$50.7 CHF 42.09

-24.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$171 CHF 142

-53.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$221 CHF 183

-57.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$989 CHF 821

-31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$1,260 CHF 1,046

-64.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$2,849 CHF 2,364

-61.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$2,312 CHF 1,919

-68.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$16.1K CHF 13.4K

-76.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$5,180 CHF 4,300

-57.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$8,613 CHF 7,148

-84.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

7.55

-10.73%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Balzers: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Balzers

$1.3K 39.6% 181% $811

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Balzers

$470 14.8% 108% $244

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Balzers

$601 18.9% 171% $379

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Balzers

$326 10.3% 52% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Balzers

$256 8% 88.4% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Balzers

$141 4.4% 111% $74

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Balzers

$126 4% 351% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $989 in Balzers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 551% 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 $119 in Balzers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $601 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇱🇮 Balzers

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

4,600

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Balzers 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Balzers

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 Balzers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 551% lower in Balzers. 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $989 in Balzers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 171% higher in Balzers. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bucharest – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $119 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $3,242 in Balzers, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Balzers. 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 Balzers, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Balzers 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 140% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.