Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Cacak

For one person, living is cheaper in Cacak: $1,051 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Cacak
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Cacak Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Cacak

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Cacak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,051 in Cacak.

Bucharest $1,340
Cacak $1,051

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,571 in Cacak.

Bucharest $2,037
Cacak $1,571

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,092 in Cacak.

Bucharest $2,734
Cacak $2,092

Living in Bucharest is roughly 28% more expensive than in Cacak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Cacak 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$7.29 RSD 760

98.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$38.45 RSD 4,009

51.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$11.29 RSD 1,177

-33.75%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.54 RSD 161

123.38%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.41 RSD 251

-1.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.44 RSD 150

59.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.52 RSD 263

46.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.53 RSD 264

64.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.23 RSD 128

35.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.73 RSD 76.2

87.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.71 RSD 283

-36.53%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.64 RSD 275

37.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$3.76 RSD 392

141.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$7.35 RSD 766

-6.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$13.96 RSD 1,456

-14.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.25 RSD 130

-1.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.88 RSD 196

-13.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.67 RSD 174

-5.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.48 RSD 258

2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.00 RSD 104

-21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.68 RSD 71.1

13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.01 RSD 105

-13.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.60 RSD 62.0

65.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$4.66 RSD 486

35.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$7.13 RSD 743

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$0.94 RSD 97.7

26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.23 RSD 232

-29.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.93 RSD 96.9

-7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$16.54 RSD 1,724

27.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.95 RSD 203

-67.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.89 RSD 92.9

-32.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$10.64 RSD 1,109

-39.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.69 RSD 177

15.98%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$27.3K RSD 2.8M

6.34%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$25.7K RSD 2.7M

3.69%

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

$196 RON 927

$142 RSD 14.8K

38.00%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$18.81 RSD 1,961

-57.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$18.90 RSD 1,971

-50.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$29.86 RSD 3,112

68.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$7.59 RSD 791

7.38%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$374 RSD 39.0K

67.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$7,499 RSD 781.7K

87.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$119 RSD 12.4K

-24.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$43.32 RSD 4,516

-11.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$136 RSD 14.2K

-41.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$125 RSD 13.0K

-27.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$311 RSD 32.5K

117.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$259 RSD 27.0K

73.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$423 RSD 44.1K

156.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$371 RSD 38.7K

95.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,109 RSD 219.8K

77.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,573 RSD 164.0K

39.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$723 RSD 75.3K

83.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.21

29.56%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cacak: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Cacak

$259 24.6% 42.3% $190

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Cacak

$144 13.7% 36.2% $82

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Cacak

$206 19.7% 8.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Cacak

$180 17.1% 15.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Cacak

$190 18.1% 42.1% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Cacak

$45 4.3% 32.3% $22

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Cacak

$27 2.5% 5.5% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $311 in Cacak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 84% 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 $38.00 in Cacak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $206 per month, with Cacak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇸 Cacak

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

69,598

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Bucharest Cacak 460 km

From you

Bucharest
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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 Cacak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Cacak differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,051 including rent). Cacak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 84% 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $311 in Cacak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,051 in Cacak – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cacak runs roughly 28% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,051 in Cacak versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cacak but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Cacak 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 Cacak 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 Cacak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.