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: $1,397 in Bucharest versus $1,360 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,105 in Bucharest versus $2,208 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,814 in Bucharest versus $3,056 in Brasov.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 3% more expensive than in Brasov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 2% above, Brasov is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.50 RON 71.1

$12.33 RON 56.6

25.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 RON 275

$54.5 RON 250

9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 RON 34.58

$7.83 RON 35.95

-3.70%

Cappuccino

$3.72 RON 17.07

$3.79 RON 17.41

-1.85%

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

$2.36 RON 10.82

$2.46 RON 11.27

-4.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.55

$2.34 RON 10.76

-1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 RON 18.26

$3.31 RON 15.20

20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 RON 20.70

$3.50 RON 16.04

28.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 RON 8.33

$1.59 RON 7.28

14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.62

$1.49 RON 6.84

-3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 RON 8.36

$1.80 RON 8.28

1.11%

Eggs

$3.94 RON 18.08

$3.56 RON 16.33

10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 RON 43.44

$9.07 RON 41.63

4.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 RON 32.36

$7.26 RON 33.31

-2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 RON 55.8

$13.19 RON 60.5

-7.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.11

$1.60 RON 7.35

-16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 RON 7.68

$1.59 RON 7.31

5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.51

$1.67 RON 7.67

-1.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 RON 12.83

$2.71 RON 12.46

3.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.86

$0.81 RON 3.71

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.62

$0.94 RON 4.31

-15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.16

$0.93 RON 4.29

-2.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$0.79 RON 3.61

26.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 RON 32.12

$6.55 RON 30.03

6.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.44 RON 29.54

$7.72 RON 35.44

-16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.70

$1.29 RON 5.93

-3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 7.99

$1.95 RON 8.95

-10.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 3.93

$1.13 RON 5.20

-23.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.97 RON 101

$24.51 RON 112

-10.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.91

$0.70 RON 3.22

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 RON 3.17

$0.66 RON 3.02

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 RON 30.66

$6.91 RON 31.73

-3.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 RON 9.05

$1.91 RON 8.77

3.14%

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

$29.3K RON 134.6K

$29.1K RON 133.5K

0.81%

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

$28.4K RON 130.4K

$27.0K RON 123.7K

5.40%

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

$192 RON 879

$185 RON 848

3.71%

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

$8.51 RON 39.03

$8.06 RON 36.98

5.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.09 RON 46.28

$9.60 RON 44.05

5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 RON 244

$59.9 RON 275

-11.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.78 RON 118

$14.45 RON 66.3

78.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 RON 39.30

$9.72 RON 44.58

-11.83%

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

$664 RON 3,048

$470 RON 2,157

41.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K RON 69.3K

$7,272 RON 33.4K

107.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 RON 434

$55.3 RON 254

70.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.90 RON 188

$36.85 RON 169

10.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 RON 378

$79.3 RON 364

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 RON 455

$93.4 RON 428

6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 RON 3,283

$715 RON 3,282

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,158

$493 RON 2,260

-4.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 RON 5,273

$1,357 RON 6,225

-15.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 RON 3,389

$1,065 RON 4,888

-30.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,881 RON 17.8K

$3,296 RON 15.1K

17.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,277 RON 10.4K

$2,468 RON 11.3K

-7.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,484 RON 6,809

$1,145 RON 5,254

29.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

7.2

-6.11%

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

Last update for Bucharest: September 15, 2026

Last update for Brasov: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Bucharest and $715 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 30% 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: $60.0 in Bucharest vs $54.0 in Brasov. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $236, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,397 vs $1,360 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $716 in Bucharest versus $715 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 $54.0 versus $60.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,397 per month in Bucharest versus $1,360 in Brasov – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,360 in Brasov versus $1,397 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 3% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.