Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Braganca

For one person, living is cheaper in Braganca: $1,024 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Braganca
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Braganca Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Braganca

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Braganca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $1,024 in Braganca.

Bucharest $1,337
Braganca $1,024

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $1,542 in Braganca.

Bucharest $2,029
Braganca $1,542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $2,059 in Braganca.

Bucharest $2,721
Braganca $2,059

Living in Bucharest is roughly 31% more expensive than in Braganca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Braganca 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$11.37 €10.12

27.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$40.02 €35.60

45.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$9.14 €8.13

-17.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$1.50 €1.34

130.00%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$1.36 €1.21

80.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$1.09 €0.97

104.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$1.09 €0.97

244.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$2.26 €2.01

85.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$1.10 €0.98

47.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$1.81 €1.61

-28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.52 €1.35

11.84%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$3.33 €2.96

13.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$9.61 €8.55

-7.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$6.70 €5.96

2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$12.16 €10.82

-0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$2.27 €2.02

-42.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.35 €1.20

18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$1.78 €1.59

-11.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$2.78 €2.47

-3.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$1.98 €1.77

-59.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$1.92 €1.70

-58.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$1.22 €1.08

-25.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.95 €0.85

2.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$5.96 €5.30

7.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$4.43 €3.94

39.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.25 €1.11

-1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.61 €1.43

3.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$11.14 €9.91

88.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$3.79 €3.37

-82.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$1.13 €1.01

-46.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$16.30 €14.49

-62.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$2.10 €1.87

-8.10%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$33.3K €29.6K

-13.69%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$38.5K €34.2K

-31.58%

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

$196 RON 926

$109 €96.7

79.93%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$16.93 €15.06

-49.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$36.03 €32.05

-74.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$33.37 €29.68

48.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$5.45 €4.85

359.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$5.63 €5.01

46.36%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$333 €297

90.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$9,946 €8,847

46.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$22.45 €19.97

294.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$22.16 €19.71

74.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$66.3 €59.0

18.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$98.1 €87.3

-7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$406 €361

71.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$315 €280

41.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$733 €652

47.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$467 €415

52.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$1,062 €945

257.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$849 €755

159.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

$1,190 €1,058

13.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.55

90.14%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Braganca: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Braganca

$315 30.8% 29.3% $131

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Braganca

$156 15.3% 30.7% $69

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Braganca

$232 22.7% 3% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Braganca

$162 15.8% 24.1% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Braganca

$94 9.2% 29.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Braganca

$45 4.4% 32.4% $21

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Braganca

$21 * 2% 26.7% $7.5

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 $695 in Bucharest and $406 in Braganca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $40.00 in Braganca. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $232, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇹 Braganca

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

01:45 1:45 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

34,589

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Braganca 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Braganca

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 Braganca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Braganca differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $1,024 including rent). Braganca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Bucharest versus $406 in Braganca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braganca runs roughly 88% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $636 in Bucharest versus $333 in Braganca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,024 in Braganca versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Braganca but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Braganca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Braganca 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 Braganca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.