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: $1,336 in Bucharest versus $1,265 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,162 in Bucharest versus $1,970 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Bucharest versus $2,675 in Brasov.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 6% more expensive than Brasov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 0% above, Brasov is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 RON 61.4

$12.18 RON 55.1

11.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 RON 308

$49.75 RON 225

36.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 RON 36.38

$8.19 RON 37.02

-1.71%

Cappuccino

$3.40 RON 15.36

$3.47 RON 15.69

-2.02%

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

$2.32 RON 10.50

$1.95 RON 8.81

18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 RON 10.74

$2.10 RON 9.48

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 RON 15.99

$3.25 RON 14.67

8.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 RON 18.14

$3.50 RON 15.80

14.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.88

$1.49 RON 6.72

16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 RON 6.42

$1.33 RON 6.02

6.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 RON 8.73

$1.75 RON 7.89

10.29%

Eggs

$3.54 RON 15.99

$3.39 RON 15.32

4.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 RON 41.90

$8.49 RON 38.38

9.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 RON 32.21

$6.96 RON 31.46

2.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 RON 55.5

$11.91 RON 53.8

3.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.11

$1.19 RON 5.39

13.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 RON 7.86

$1.64 RON 7.39

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 RON 7.98

$1.60 RON 7.24

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.83

$2.53 RON 11.43

-5.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.72

$0.95 RON 4.30

10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.35

$1.07 RON 4.82

-10.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 RON 4.15

$0.88 RON 3.99

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.09

$0.85 RON 3.83

7.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 RON 28.82

$5.82 RON 26.30

9.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 RON 29.16

$9.03 RON 40.82

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.51

$1.14 RON 5.14

7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 RON 8.95

$1.66 RON 7.50

19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 RON 5.27

$0.91 RON 4.11

27.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.48 RON 88.0

$19.00 RON 85.9

2.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.25

$0.77 RON 3.47

-6.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.79

$0.60 RON 2.73

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 31.35

$6.88 RON 31.10

0.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 RON 7.75

$1.59 RON 7.20

7.55%

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

$29.0K RON 131.0K

$27.7K RON 125.4K

4.46%

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

$30.3K RON 137.0K

$27.4K RON 123.9K

10.54%

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

$178 RON 803

$167 RON 754

6.48%

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

$9.16 RON 41.40

$7.88 RON 35.63

16.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 RON 50.3

$9.28 RON 41.94

19.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 RON 247

$59.8 RON 270

-8.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.04 RON 131

$15.86 RON 71.7

83.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 RON 41.92

$10.84 RON 48.99

-14.48%

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

$677 RON 3,060

$441 RON 1,995

53.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K RON 67.2K

$6,608 RON 29.9K

124.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 RON 361

$65.8 RON 297

21.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.29 RON 205

$42.49 RON 192

6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 RON 403

$95.8 RON 433

-6.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 RON 493

$97.2 RON 440

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 RON 2,992

$621 RON 2,808

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 RON 1,953

$419 RON 1,892

3.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 RON 6,126

$1,051 RON 4,751

28.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 RON 3,802

$701 RON 3,171

19.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,857 RON 17.4K

$3,190 RON 14.4K

20.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,305 RON 10.4K

$2,490 RON 11.3K

-7.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 RON 6,615

$1,082 RON 4,892

35.22%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brasov: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $662 in Bucharest and $621 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 35% 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: $68.0 in Bucharest vs $50.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $225 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,336 vs $1,265 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bucharest pays 35% more on average, 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 $621 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 $50.0 versus $68.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,336 per month in Bucharest versus $1,265 in Brasov – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Brasov versus $1,336 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 6% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.