Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Bulawayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $763 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
Learn more

Bulawayo Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Bulawayo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $763 in Bulawayo.

Bucharest $1,351
Bulawayo $763

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $1,192 in Bulawayo.

Bucharest $2,033
Bulawayo $1,192

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $1,622 in Bulawayo.

Bucharest $2,715
Bulawayo $1,622

Living in Bucharest is roughly 77% more expensive than in Bulawayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Bulawayo is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$4.58 ZWL 122

215.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$30.29 ZWL 809

90.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$4.89 ZWL 131

53.37%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$2.09 ZWL 55.9

64.11%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.52 ZWL 13.86

373.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.37 ZWL 9.85

529.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$1.47 ZWL 39.14

158.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$2.03 ZWL 54.2

101.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.66 ZWL 44.28

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$1.01 ZWL 27.05

33.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$1.55 ZWL 41.32

14.84%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$1.91 ZWL 50.9

91.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$9.59 ZWL 256

-10.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$4.02 ZWL 107

69.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$4.46 ZWL 119

162.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$1.85 ZWL 49.29

-30.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$1.60 ZWL 42.68

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$2.42 ZWL 64.8

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$1.04 ZWL 27.89

138.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$1.28 ZWL 34.19

-35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.39 ZWL 37.02

-42.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.10 ZWL 29.29

-23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.75 ZWL 19.93

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$1.54 ZWL 41.04

318.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$5.10 ZWL 136

23.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.35 ZWL 36.15

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.85 ZWL 49.48

-13.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.77 ZWL 20.65

5.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$30.55 ZWL 816

-30.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$2.94 ZWL 78.6

-79.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

-68.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$5.04 ZWL 135

22.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.64 ZWL 43.75

19.51%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$24.6K ZWL 656.4K

14.55%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$24.6K ZWL 657.7K

6.77%

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

$197 RON 931

$95.3 ZWL 2,547

106.47%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$17.21 ZWL 460

-51.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$105 ZWL 2,816

-91.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$31.62 ZWL 845

57.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$20.07 ZWL 536

24.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$9.86 ZWL 263

-14.20%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$231 ZWL 6,175

176.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$3,512 ZWL 93.8K

309.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$20.96 ZWL 560

332.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$11.58 ZWL 309

228.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$45.58 ZWL 1,217

74.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$58.0 ZWL 1,548

60.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$176 ZWL 4,695

282.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$107 ZWL 2,863

318.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$414 ZWL 11.1K

165.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$325 ZWL 8,679

124.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$2,053 ZWL 54.8K

82.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$2,046 ZWL 54.7K

6.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$306 ZWL 8,161

333.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

-55.07%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Bulawayo

$107 14.2% 76.1% $342

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Bulawayo

$91 12.1% 59.5% $134

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Bulawayo

$177 23.5% 20.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Bulawayo

$218 29% 1.7% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Bulawayo

$61 8.1% 54.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Bulawayo

$51 6.8% 23.1% $15

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Bulawayo

$46 6.2% 65.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $176 in Bulawayo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 333% 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: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $30.00 in Bulawayo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $177 per month, with Bulawayo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

653,337

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.74 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 26.71 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.74 USD). 1 EUR = 29.96 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Bulawayo 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Bulawayo

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 Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Bulawayo differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $763 including rent). Bulawayo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 333% 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $176 in Bulawayo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $763 in Bulawayo – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bulawayo runs roughly 45% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $763 in Bulawayo versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bulawayo but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Bulawayo 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.

Expats usually find Bulawayo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.