Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Barlad

For one person, living is cheaper in Barlad: $975 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Barlad
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Barlad Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Barlad

🇷🇴 Romania

$975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Barlad

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

A single person spends $1,337 per month in Bucharest vs $975 in Barlad, rent included.

Bucharest $1,337
Barlad $975

A couple spends around $2,029 per month in Bucharest vs $1,521 in Barlad, rent included.

Bucharest $2,029
Barlad $1,521

A family of three spends $2,721 per month in Bucharest vs $2,066 in Barlad, rent included.

Bucharest $2,721
Barlad $2,066

Bucharest costs about 37% more than Barlad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bucharest and Barlad are more affordable than the global median – Bucharest 1% lower, Barlad 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$8.96 RON 42.41

61.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$41.38 RON 196

40.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$7.20 RON 34.06

4.58%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$2.41 RON 11.40

43.15%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$1.85 RON 8.75

32.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$1.54 RON 7.27

44.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$2.17 RON 10.25

73.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$2.69 RON 12.72

55.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$1.34 RON 6.34

20.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$1.12 RON 5.31

16.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.40 RON 6.63

21.43%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$3.39 RON 16.02

11.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$7.51 RON 35.53

17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$5.22 RON 24.69

32.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$10.04 RON 47.49

20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$1.04 RON 4.92

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.63 RON 7.73

-1.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$1.38 RON 6.54

13.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$1.76 RON 8.31

52.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$0.79 RON 3.75

2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$0.77 RON 3.65

2.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$0.84 RON 3.99

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.89 RON 4.20

8.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$6.64 RON 31.41

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$5.58 RON 26.38

10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.20 RON 5.68

2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.62 RON 7.67

3.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$0.51 RON 2.40

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$19.88 RON 94.0

5.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$0.72 RON 3.42

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$0.73 RON 3.46

-17.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$6.99 RON 33.08

-11.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$1.75 RON 8.30

10.29%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$26.5K RON 125.3K

8.44%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$25.1K RON 118.7K

4.98%

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

$196 RON 926

$158 RON 748

23.76%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$8.87 RON 41.95

-4.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$8.36 RON 39.58

8.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$34.02 RON 161

45.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$18.05 RON 85.4

38.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$6.61 RON 31.28

24.66%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$465 RON 2,202

36.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$7,715 RON 36.5K

88.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$62.0 RON 293

42.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$34.81 RON 165

11.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$72.7 RON 344

8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$86.2 RON 408

5.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$407 RON 1,927

70.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$269 RON 1,271

65.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$651 RON 3,081

66.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$505 RON 2,387

41.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$1,755 RON 8,305

116.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$1,263 RON 5,976

74.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

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 19, 2026

Last update for Barlad: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Barlad

$269 27.6% 39.7% $177

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Barlad

$152 15.6% 32.6% $74

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Barlad

$190 19.5% 15.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Barlad

$175 18% 17.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Barlad

$115 11.8% 13.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Barlad

$47 4.9% 28.4% $19

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Barlad

$26 2.7% 6.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Bucharest versus $407 in Barlad. 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 $58.0 in Bucharest versus $41.00 in Barlad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $190 – making Barlad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Barlad

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

77,518

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bucharest Barlad 230 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 Barlad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest, $975 in Barlad – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,006 per month in Bucharest and $1,462 in Barlad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 6% less in Barlad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $636 per month in Bucharest and $465 in Barlad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barlad, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Bucharest at $1,337. In Barlad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bucharest 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 $975 in Barlad to $1,337 in Bucharest. 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 Barlad. 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.