Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Benguela

For one person, living is cheaper in Benguela: $58.8 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

Benguela

🇦🇴 Angola

$58.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Benguela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $58.8 in Benguela.

Bucharest $1,351
Benguela $58.8

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $83.2 in Benguela.

Bucharest $2,033
Benguela $83.2

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $107 in Benguela.

Bucharest $2,715
Benguela $107

Living in Bucharest is roughly 2197% more expensive than in Benguela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Benguela is 96% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$2.66 AOA 2,431

443.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$10.78 AOA 9,838

-30.43%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.90 AOA 821

173.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

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

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-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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$3,801 AOA 3.5M

-65.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

-73.04%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Benguela: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Benguela

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Benguela

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Benguela

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Benguela

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Benguela

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Benguela

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Benguela

–

Cost Breakdown

Benguela pays 187% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇦🇴 Benguela

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

513,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, 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).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,024 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.77 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Benguela 6,470 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Benguela

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 Benguela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benguela wins on cost – living expenses run 2197% lower than in Bucharest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Benguela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 187% lower in Benguela. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

At $58.8 in Benguela versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Benguela but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Benguela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Benguela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $58.8 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Benguela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Benguela 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 Benguela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2197% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.