Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Bentota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $774 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
Learn more

Bentota Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Bentota

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $774 in Bentota.

Bucharest $1,340
Bentota $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $896 in Bentota.

Bucharest $2,037
Bentota $896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,018 in Bentota.

Bucharest $2,734
Bentota $1,018

Living in Bucharest is roughly 73% more expensive than in Bentota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Bentota 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$4.29 LKR 1,421

237.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$11.97 LKR 3,965

385.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$7.73 LKR 2,560

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.46 LKR 815

39.84%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.68 LKR 225

248.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.25 LKR 82.2

820.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.24 LKR 742

65.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.07 LKR 1,016

35.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.62 LKR 535

3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.53 LKR 176

158.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.74 LKR 244

132.43%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.56 LKR 518

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$14.03 LKR 4,648

-35.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$3.32 LKR 1,099

106.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$4.62 LKR 1,529

159.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$6.81 LKR 2,257

-81.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$0.73 LKR 241

123.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$4.59 LKR 1,519

-65.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.90 LKR 297

182.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.00 LKR 331

-21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.79 LKR 263

-2.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.94 LKR 312

-7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.43 LKR 143

130.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$10.13 LKR 3,356

-37.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$13.36 LKR 4,424

-53.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.95 LKR 645

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.91 LKR 963

-46.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.18 LKR 61.0

377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.40 LKR 133

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.31 LKR 103

93.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$0.87 LKR 289

639.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.39 LKR 461

41.01%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

-21.97%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-33.61%

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

$196 RON 927

$54.0 LKR 17.9K

262.49%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$2.23 LKR 739

260.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$9.03 LKR 2,990

3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$4.28 LKR 1,417

90.42%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$38.08 LKR 12.6K

1549.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$1,230 LKR 407.3K

1045.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$17.80 LKR 5,897

403.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$16.82 LKR 5,573

127.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$42.09 LKR 13.9K

114.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$541 LKR 179.2K

25.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$298 LKR 98.7K

50.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

12.69

-46.81%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bentota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Bentota

$298 38.5% 33.5% $150

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Bentota

$108 14% 52% $117

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Bentota

$220 28.5% 2.1% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Bentota

$65 8.4% 69.4% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Bentota

$71 9.1% 47.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Bentota

$8.6 * 1.1% 87.1% $58

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Bentota

$2.7 * 0.4% 90.4% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $541 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $12.00 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $220 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇱🇰 Bentota

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

07:51 7:51 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

37,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Bentota 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Bentota

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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,011 in Bucharest and $1,160 in Bentota to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $541 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $774 in Bentota – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $774 in Bentota versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bentota is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bucharest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.