Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Bijeljina

For one person, living is cheaper in Bijeljina: $905 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Bijeljina
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Bijeljina Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Bijeljina

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Bijeljina

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

A single person spends $1,351 per month in Bucharest vs $905 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Bucharest $1,351
Bijeljina $905

A couple spends around $2,033 per month in Bucharest vs $1,424 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Bucharest $2,033
Bijeljina $1,424

A family of three spends $2,715 per month in Bucharest vs $1,943 in Bijeljina, rent included.

Bucharest $2,715
Bijeljina $1,943

Bucharest costs about 49% more than Bijeljina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bucharest sits 1% above the global median, while Bijeljina is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$8.65 BAM 15.10

67.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$34.77 BAM 60.7

65.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$4.45 BAM 7.77

68.54%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$1.45 BAM 2.52

136.55%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$1.69 BAM 2.96

45.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$1.01 BAM 1.77

130.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$1.69 BAM 2.95

124.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$2.27 BAM 3.96

80.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.52 BAM 2.66

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$1.21 BAM 2.11

11.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$1.71 BAM 2.98

4.09%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$3.04 BAM 5.31

20.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$7.42 BAM 12.94

15.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$7.75 BAM 13.53

-12.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$11.47 BAM 20.01

2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$1.57 BAM 2.74

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$1.81 BAM 3.15

-13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$1.79 BAM 3.12

-13.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$2.59 BAM 4.52

-4.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$1.59 BAM 2.77

-47.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.40 BAM 2.45

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.09 BAM 1.90

-22.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.60 BAM 1.05

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$3.72 BAM 6.49

73.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$8.54 BAM 14.89

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$0.88 BAM 1.54

43.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.46 BAM 2.54

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$2.24 BAM 3.91

-63.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$16.86 BAM 29.41

25.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.40 BAM 2.45

-57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.59 BAM 1.03

3.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$10.26 BAM 17.90

-39.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.41 BAM 2.46

39.01%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$31.0K BAM 54.0K

-9.07%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$19.0K BAM 33.1K

38.43%

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

$197 RON 931

$138 BAM 240

43.10%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$18.44 BAM 32.17

-54.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$24.10 BAM 42.04

-61.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$30.31 BAM 52.9

64.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$8.73 BAM 15.23

186.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$4.94 BAM 8.61

71.26%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$203 BAM 354

215.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$3,914 BAM 6,829

267.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$56.2 BAM 98.0

61.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$26.09 BAM 45.52

45.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$129 BAM 224

-38.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$120 BAM 209

-21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$253 BAM 441

166.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$166 BAM 290

170.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$358 BAM 625

206.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$286 BAM 498

155.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$1,811 BAM 3,159

106.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$1,369 BAM 2,388

59.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$739 BAM 1,290

79.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

12.33%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bijeljina: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Bijeljina

$166 18.2% 63% $283

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Bijeljina

$124 13.6% 45.1% $102

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Bijeljina

$224 24.6% 1.1% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Bijeljina

$180 19.7% 16% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Bijeljina

$149 16.3% 9.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Bijeljina

$40 4.4% 39.8% $27

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Bijeljina

$30 3.3% 7.5% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $673 in Bucharest versus $253 in Bijeljina. 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 79% 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 $35.00 in Bijeljina. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Bucharest vs $224 in Bijeljina – so Bucharest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇧🇦 Bijeljina

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

42,278

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Bijeljina 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Bijeljina

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 Bijeljina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest, $905 in Bijeljina – roughly 49% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,027 per month in Bucharest and $1,357 in Bijeljina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,351 in Bucharest and $905 in Bijeljina. That's a gap of about 49%.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Bijeljina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bijeljina, where all-in costs run around $905, than in Bucharest at $1,351. In Bijeljina 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 $905 in Bijeljina to $1,351 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 Bijeljina. 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.