Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Ben Arous

For one person, living is cheaper in Ben Arous: $698 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Ben Arous
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Ben Arous Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Ben Arous

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Ben Arous

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

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Bucharest vs $698 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Bucharest $1,340
Ben Arous $698

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Bucharest vs $1,098 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Bucharest $2,037
Ben Arous $1,098

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Bucharest vs $1,497 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Bucharest $2,734
Ben Arous $1,497

Bucharest costs about 92% more than Ben Arous, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bucharest and Ben Arous are more affordable than the global median – Bucharest 1% lower, Ben Arous 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$5.31 TND 15.90

172.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$19.81 TND 59.3

193.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$5.06 TND 15.14

47.83%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.16 TND 3.48

196.55%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.65 TND 1.95

264.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.27 TND 0.81

751.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.65 TND 4.95

124.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.04 TND 6.12

103.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.52 TND 1.54

221.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.10 TND 0.29

1270.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.70 TND 5.08

1.18%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.48 TND 4.43

145.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$10.27 TND 30.76

-11.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.91 TND 17.70

15.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$17.19 TND 51.5

-30.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.67 TND 5.01

-26.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$4.47 TND 13.38

-63.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.95 TND 2.84

65.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.80 TND 2.41

217.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.90 TND 2.69

-12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.66 TND 1.97

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.52 TND 1.56

67.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.31 TND 0.93

219.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$3.49 TND 10.46

80.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.62 TND 19.82

-6.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.00 TND 2.99

19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.23 TND 3.68

27.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.38 TND 1.14

126.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$13.56 TND 40.61

55.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.31 TND 0.93

106.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.31 TND 0.92

93.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$1.75 TND 5.23

267.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$0.86 TND 2.58

127.91%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$39.9K TND 119.6K

-27.41%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$23.0K TND 69.0K

15.59%

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

$196 RON 927

$53.9 TND 162

263.23%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$9.87 TND 29.56

-18.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$20.83 TND 62.4

-55.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$32.08 TND 96.1

56.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$16.52 TND 49.46

53.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$5.11 TND 15.29

59.49%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$61.0 TND 183

929.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$1,947 TND 5,830

623.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$43.31 TND 130

106.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$60.2 TND 180

-36.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$85.8 TND 257

-7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$46.95 TND 141

92.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$209 TND 626

224.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$156 TND 467

187.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$386 TND 1,155

180.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$267 TND 799

171.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$933 TND 2,795

301.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$415 TND 1,243

428.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$247 TND 739

439.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

10.5

-35.71%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Ben Arous

$156 22.4% 65.2% $292

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Ben Arous

$88 12.6% 61.1% $138

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Ben Arous

$204 29.3% 9.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Ben Arous

$85 12.1% 60.3% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Ben Arous

$106 15.2% 20.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Ben Arous

$42 6.1% 36.4% $24

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Ben Arous

$17 2.4% 40% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $678 in Bucharest versus $209 in Ben Arous. 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 439% 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 $58.0 in Bucharest versus $20.00 in Ben Arous. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $204 – making Ben Arous the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇹🇳 Ben Arous

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

00:37 12:37 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

88,322

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Ben Arous 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Ben Arous

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 Ben Arous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest, $698 in Ben Arous – roughly 92% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,011 per month in Bucharest and $1,047 in Ben Arous. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Bucharest and $20.00 in Ben Arous. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,340 in Bucharest and $698 in Ben Arous. That's a gap of about 92%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ben Arous, where all-in costs run around $698, than in Bucharest at $1,340. In Ben Arous 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 $698 in Ben Arous to $1,340 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 Ben Arous. 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.