Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Braintree

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $2,191 in Braintree, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,340
/mo nomad
Braintree
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,191
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Braintree

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

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Bucharest vs $2,191 in Braintree, rent included.

  • Bucharest $1,340
  • Braintree $2,191

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Bucharest vs $3,260 in Braintree, rent included.

  • Bucharest $2,037
  • Braintree $3,260

A family of three spends $2,734 per month in Bucharest vs $4,329 in Braintree, rent included.

  • Bucharest $2,734
  • Braintree $4,329

Bucharest is about 39% cheaper than Braintree, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Bucharest sits 1% below the global median, while Braintree is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.49 RON 68.6
$20.01 £15.01
-27.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.1 RON 275
$91.5 £68.6
-36.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.48 RON 35.40
$10.44 £7.83
-28.35%
Cappuccino
$3.44 RON 16.29
$4.61 £3.46
-25.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 RON 11.22
$1.82 £1.36
30.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 RON 10.88
$1.13 £0.85
103.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 RON 17.51
$6.71 £5.03
-44.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 RON 19.69
$5.90 £4.42
-29.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 RON 7.90
$1.43 £1.07
16.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 RON 6.50
$1.38 £1.03
-0.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 RON 8.14
$1.64 £1.23
4.88%
Eggs
$3.64 RON 17.22
$2.95 £2.21
23.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.08 RON 42.98
$8.65 £6.49
4.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.84 RON 32.35
$7.74 £5.81
-11.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.00 RON 56.8
$12.97 £9.73
-7.48%
Apples (1kg)
$1.23 RON 5.80
$3.15 £2.36
-60.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.73
$1.40 £1.05
16.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$2.58 £1.94
-39.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 RON 12.01
$2.78 £2.08
-8.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 RON 3.75
$1.65 £1.24
-52.12%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.66
$1.41 £1.06
-45.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 RON 4.13
$1.19 £0.89
-26.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 RON 4.70
$1.36 £1.02
-27.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.31 RON 29.86
$23.37 £17.53
-73.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.20 RON 29.34
$9.00 £6.75
-31.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 RON 5.63
$2.69 £2.02
-55.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$2.34 £1.75
-32.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 RON 4.08
$3.42 £2.56
-74.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.10 RON 99.8
$94.4 £70.9
-77.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 RON 3.05
$4.77 £3.58
-86.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 RON 2.86
$1.29 £0.97
-53.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.43 RON 30.43
$21.52 £16.14
-70.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 RON 9.25
$2.09 £1.57
-6.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K RON 137.2K
$37.4K £28.0K
-22.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K RON 126.0K
$40.0K £30.0K
-33.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 RON 927
$249 £186
-21.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.04 RON 38.04
$14.35 £10.77
-43.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.35 RON 44.21
$40.48 £30.37
-76.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.2 RON 238
$45.52 £34.15
10.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.33 RON 120
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.15 RON 38.55
$21.07 £15.81
-61.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 RON 2,971
$1,070 £802
-41.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.1K RON 66.6K
$19.9K £14.9K
-29.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.6 RON 424
$69.7 £52.3
28.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.32 RON 181
$31.23 £23.43
22.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 RON 375
$77.9 £58.4
1.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.4 RON 428
$49.97 £37.49
80.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$678 RON 3,209
$1,220 £915
-44.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 RON 2,121
$1,010 £758
-55.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 RON 5,125
$2,060 £1,545
-47.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 RON 3,430
$1,682 £1,262
-56.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,751 RON 17.7K
$5,118 £3,839
-26.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,195 RON 10.4K
$3,798 £2,850
-42.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bucharest
Braintree
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,329 RON 6,290
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
4.67
44.54%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Braintree: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
$448
Braintree
$1K 125% $562
Eating Out
Bucharest
$225
Braintree
$304 34.9% $79
Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
$225
Braintree
$263 17% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
$213
Braintree
$303 42.2% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
$134
Braintree
$103 23.1% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
$67
Braintree
$88 31.8% $21
Getting Around
Bucharest
$28
Braintree
$119 323% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $678 in Bucharest versus $1,220 in Braintree. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Bucharest versus $91.0 in Braintree. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $263 – making Bucharest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🇬🇧 Braintree
🕒 Local time
04:32 4:32 AM
02:32 2:32 AM
2 h behind Bucharest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,883,425 Capital
151,677
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bucharest Braintree 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bucharest
  • Braintree

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 Braintree: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bucharest and in Braintree compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest, $2,191 in Braintree – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Bucharest compared to Braintree?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,011 per month in Bucharest and $3,286 in Braintree. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bucharest and Braintree?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucharest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Braintree, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Bucharest and $91.0 in Braintree. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,340, than in Braintree at $2,191. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Braintree it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Bucharest and Braintree?
It depends on your priorities. Bucharest has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,340 in Bucharest to $2,191 in Braintree. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bucharest or Braintree safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Bucharest and Braintree?
If budget matters most, go with Bucharest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Braintree makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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