Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Bangui

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangui: $423 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Bangui

🇨🇫 Central African Republic

$423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Bangui

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

A single person spends $1,351 per month in Bucharest vs $423 in Bangui, rent included.

Bucharest $1,351
Bangui $423

A couple spends around $2,033 per month in Bucharest vs $675 in Bangui, rent included.

Bucharest $2,033
Bangui $675

A family of three spends $2,715 per month in Bucharest vs $927 in Bangui, rent included.

Bucharest $2,715
Bangui $927

Bucharest costs about 219% more than Bangui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bucharest sits 1% above the global median, while Bangui is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$1.76 FCFA 1,032

32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$3.54 FCFA 2,071

7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$5.27 FCFA 3,085

-22.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$5.16 FCFA 3,020

-68.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$4.45 FCFA 2,605

-69.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$4.22 FCFA 2,469

-57.82%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$5.19 FCFA 3,036

-29.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$8.66 FCFA 5,065

-1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$8.83 FCFA 5,165

-22.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$3.42 FCFA 2,003

242.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$6.76 FCFA 3,955

-77.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$5.09 FCFA 2,975

-51.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$4.45 FCFA 2,606

-81.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$5.93 FCFA 3,468

-86.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$2.65 FCFA 1,551

-68.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$2.63 FCFA 1,538

-64.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$4.41 FCFA 2,583

46.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$11.88 FCFA 6,953

-46.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$5.99 FCFA 3,506

-78.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$4.37 FCFA 2,555

-63.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$2.64 FCFA 1,544

-25.76%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

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

$197 RON 931

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$1,380 FCFA 807.6K

-51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$1,647 FCFA 963.5K

32.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bangui: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Bangui

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Bangui

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Bangui

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Bangui

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Bangui

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Bangui

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Bangui

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $673 in Bucharest versus $1,380 in Bangui. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇫 Bangui

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

734,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, 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).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Bangui 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Bangui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bucharest is pricier by about 219%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,027 per month in Bucharest and $635 in Bangui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bangui, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,351 in Bucharest and $423 in Bangui. That's a gap of about 219%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 79% cheaper in Bucharest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bangui, where all-in costs run around $423, than in Bucharest at $1,351. In Bangui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bucharest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bangui – 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 Bangui. 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.