Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Berat

For one person, living is cheaper in Berat: $1,147 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bucharest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Berat
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Berat Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Berat

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Berat

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

A single person spends $1,351 per month in Bucharest vs $1,147 in Berat, rent included.

Bucharest $1,351
Berat $1,147

A couple spends around $2,033 per month in Bucharest vs $1,701 in Berat, rent included.

Bucharest $2,033
Berat $1,701

A family of three spends $2,715 per month in Bucharest vs $2,256 in Berat, rent included.

Bucharest $2,715
Berat $2,256

Bucharest costs about 18% more than Berat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bucharest sits 1% above the global median, while Berat is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$9.69 ALL 788

49.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$34.12 ALL 2,776

68.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$8.37 ALL 681

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$1.85 ALL 151

85.41%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$1.79 ALL 145

37.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.98 ALL 80.0

137.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$2.71 ALL 221

40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$3.60 ALL 293

13.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$2.03 ALL 165

-18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$1.16 ALL 94.2

16.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$2.31 ALL 188

-22.94%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$3.03 ALL 246

20.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$11.01 ALL 896

-22.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$8.31 ALL 676

-18.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$16.67 ALL 1,356

-29.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$1.92 ALL 156

-32.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$2.48 ALL 202

-37.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$1.62 ALL 132

-4.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$1.43 ALL 116

73.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.98 ALL 79.9

-15.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.25 ALL 101

-36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$0.82 ALL 66.8

2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.70 ALL 56.8

32.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$4.66 ALL 379

38.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$10.19 ALL 829

-37.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.25 ALL 102

0.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.49 ALL 121

7.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.36 ALL 29.07

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$19.80 ALL 1,611

6.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$3.70 ALL 301

-83.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$3.74 ALL 304

-83.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$18.46 ALL 1,502

-66.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$2.15 ALL 175

-8.84%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$33.6K ALL 2.7M

-16.15%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

-25.11%

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

$197 RON 931

$84.7 ALL 6,889

132.46%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$18.04 ALL 1,467

-53.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$19.88 ALL 1,617

-53.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$54.8 ALL 4,457

-8.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$18.37 ALL 1,494

36.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$9.65 ALL 785

-12.33%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$185 ALL 15.1K

245.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$1,810 ALL 147.3K

695.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$48.80 ALL 3,971

85.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$47.56 ALL 3,870

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$120 ALL 9,769

-33.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$116 ALL 9,398

-19.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$468 ALL 38.1K

43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$332 ALL 27.0K

35.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$690 ALL 56.1K

59.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$465 ALL 37.8K

56.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$1,837 ALL 149.5K

103.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$1,225 ALL 99.6K

78.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$794 ALL 64.6K

66.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

4.75

41.89%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Berat: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Berat

$332 29.1% 26% $117

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Berat

$157 13.7% 30.6% $69

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Berat

$263 23% 18.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Berat

$123 10.7% 42.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Berat

$149 13.1% 10.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Berat

$74 6.5% 10.9% $7.3

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Berat

$44 3.8% 55.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $673 in Bucharest versus $468 in Berat. 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 67% 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 $34.00 in Berat. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Bucharest vs $263 in Berat – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇦🇱 Berat

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

32,606

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, 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).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 81.36 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.25 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Berat 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Berat

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 Berat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bucharest is pricier by about 18%, 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 $1,720 in Berat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Bucharest – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Bucharest and $34.00 in Berat. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Berat, where all-in costs run around $1,147, than in Bucharest at $1,351. In Berat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bucharest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Berat – 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 Berat. 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.