Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Brikama

For one person, living is cheaper in Brikama: $64.8 a month against $1,371 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Brikama

🇬🇲 Gambia

$64.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Brikama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Bucharest versus $65 in Brikama.

Bucharest $1,371
Brikama $65

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Bucharest versus $108 in Brikama.

Bucharest $2,067
Brikama $108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,764 in Bucharest versus $151 in Brikama.

Bucharest $2,764
Brikama $151

Living in Bucharest is roughly 2015% more expensive than in Brikama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 RON 69.0

$6.25 GMD 463

132.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 RON 291

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 RON 35.46

Cappuccino

$3.64 RON 17.31

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

$2.62 RON 12.43

$0.65 GMD 48.52

303.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.23

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 RON 17.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 RON 19.52

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.89

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.64

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.53

Eggs

$3.63 RON 17.25

$2.37 GMD 176

53.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 42.38

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RON 32.62

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 RON 57.0

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.16

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.76

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.09

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.08

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.86

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.78

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 4.07

$0.32 GMD 24.06

168.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 31.38

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 30.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.53

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RON 4.64

$0.36 GMD 26.33

172.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 RON 99.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.25

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 RON 9.62

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

$28.2K RON 134.0K

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

$26.3K RON 124.8K

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

$196 RON 932

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

$8.60 RON 40.84

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 RON 43.69

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 RON 242

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 RON 119

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 RON 39.27

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

$681 RON 3,234

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K RON 89.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 RON 443

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 RON 189

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 RON 381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 431

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 RON 3,473

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,232

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 RON 5,276

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 RON 3,431

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 RON 17.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 RON 10.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 RON 6,487

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brikama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$470 34.3%

Brikama

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$229 16.7%

Brikama

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.4%

Brikama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 15.6%

Brikama

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$137 10%

Brikama

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$68 4.9%

Brikama

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$29 2.1%

Brikama

–

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇬🇲 Brikama

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

11:51 11:51 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

97,233

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 74.15 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 83.28 GMD (100 GMD = 1.2 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Brikama 5,320 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Brikama

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 Brikama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brikama is about 95% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,056 in Bucharest and $97 in Brikama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1985% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,371 per month in Bucharest versus $65 in Brikama – Brikama is about 95% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $65 in Brikama versus $1,371 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brikama but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Brikama 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.