Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Cabinda

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabinda: $73.6 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Cabinda

🇦🇴 Angola

$73.6

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Cabinda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $73.6 in Cabinda.

Bucharest $1,351
Cabinda $73.6

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $1,574 in Cabinda.

Bucharest $2,033
Cabinda $1,574

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $3,074 in Cabinda.

Bucharest $2,715
Cabinda $3,074

Living in Bucharest is roughly 1735% more expensive than in Cabinda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Cabinda is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$7.41 AOA 6,765

95.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$40.35 AOA 36.8K

42.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.97 AOA 890

153.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$1.66 AOA 1,519

40.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$2.05 AOA 1,871

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

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

$197 RON 931

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$619 AOA 565.2K

8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$2,673 AOA 2.4M

-72.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cabinda: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Cabinda

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Cabinda

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Cabinda

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Cabinda

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Cabinda

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Cabinda

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Cabinda

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $619 in Cabinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $40.00 in Cabinda for two.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇦🇴 Cabinda

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

377,931

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, 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).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,024 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.77 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Cabinda 5,730 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Cabinda

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 Cabinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Cabinda differ by about 1735% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $73.6 including rent). Cabinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,027 in Bucharest and $110 in Cabinda 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Bucharest versus $619 in Cabinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabinda – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $58.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $73.6 in Cabinda – a 1735% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $73.6 in Cabinda versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cabinda but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Cabinda 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 Cabinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1735% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.