Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Brasov Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Brasov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Bucharest versus $1,254 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,133 in Bucharest versus $1,956 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,903 in Bucharest versus $2,657 in Brasov.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 9% more expensive than in Brasov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 2% above, Brasov is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.09 RON 64.7

$12.42 RON 57.0

13.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 RON 316

$50.8 RON 233

35.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 RON 37.07

$8.07 RON 37.06

0.12%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 15.56

$3.58 RON 16.42

-5.31%

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

$2.24 RON 10.29

$1.90 RON 8.74

17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 RON 11.10

$2.01 RON 9.25

20.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 RON 15.53

$3.25 RON 14.92

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 RON 17.58

$3.42 RON 15.68

11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.89

$1.54 RON 7.07

11.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.20

$1.29 RON 5.93

4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.42

$1.81 RON 8.32

1.10%

Eggs

$3.65 RON 16.74

$3.36 RON 15.43

8.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.23 RON 42.35

$8.83 RON 40.51

4.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 RON 31.46

$7.03 RON 32.27

-2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 RON 55.2

$11.75 RON 54.0

2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 RON 6.15

$1.14 RON 5.26

17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.90

$1.66 RON 7.61

3.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 RON 8.34

$1.55 RON 7.12

17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 RON 10.98

$2.49 RON 11.41

-4.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.78

$0.94 RON 4.34

10.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 RON 4.68

$1.06 RON 4.89

-3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 RON 4.49

$0.88 RON 4.02

11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 RON 4.34

$0.79 RON 3.64

20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 RON 29.36

$5.85 RON 26.85

9.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 RON 29.84

$7.84 RON 35.98

-17.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.69

$1.11 RON 5.09

11.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 RON 8.87

$1.71 RON 7.86

12.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 RON 5.22

$0.91 RON 4.16

25.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.82 RON 91.0

$18.69 RON 85.8

6.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 RON 3.28

$0.77 RON 3.53

-7.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.00

$0.60 RON 2.76

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 RON 31.82

$6.78 RON 31.13

2.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.60

$1.61 RON 7.37

3.11%

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

$29.0K RON 132.9K

$28.1K RON 129.0K

3.03%

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

$30.1K RON 138.0K

$27.5K RON 126.3K

9.27%

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

$183 RON 842

$165 RON 758

11.06%

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

$8.95 RON 41.09

$8.19 RON 37.58

9.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 RON 51.1

$8.83 RON 40.53

25.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 RON 250

$60.0 RON 276

-9.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.49 RON 135

$15.81 RON 72.6

86.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 RON 41.92

$10.79 RON 49.54

-15.38%

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

$676 RON 3,105

$447 RON 2,053

51.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K RON 65.7K

$6,652 RON 30.5K

115.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 RON 372

$68.0 RON 312

19.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.42 RON 204

$42.68 RON 196

4.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 RON 412

$95.6 RON 439

-6.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 RON 497

$98.3 RON 451

10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 RON 3,039

$626 RON 2,873

5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 RON 2,022

$428 RON 1,964

2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 RON 6,207

$1,029 RON 4,725

31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 RON 3,896

$699 RON 3,208

21.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,777 RON 17.3K

$3,177 RON 14.6K

18.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 RON 10.2K

$2,402 RON 11.0K

-7.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,408 RON 6,463

$1,127 RON 5,176

24.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

7.7

-7.79%

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

Last update for Bucharest: July 12, 2026

Last update for Brasov: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $662 in Bucharest and $626 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 25% 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: $69.0 in Bucharest vs $51.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $223 per month, with Brasov cheaper across the board.

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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Brasov differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,362 vs $1,254 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $662 in Bucharest versus $626 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $69.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,362 per month in Bucharest versus $1,254 in Brasov – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,254 in Brasov versus $1,362 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov 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 Brasov 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 Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.