Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Calafat

For one person, living is cheaper in Calafat: $1,016 a month against $1,371 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Calafat
Learn more

Calafat Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Calafat

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,016

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Calafat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Bucharest versus $1,016 in Calafat.

Bucharest $1,371
Calafat $1,016

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Bucharest versus $1,499 in Calafat.

Bucharest $2,067
Calafat $1,499

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,764 in Bucharest versus $1,982 in Calafat.

Bucharest $2,764
Calafat $1,982

Living in Bucharest is roughly 35% more expensive than in Calafat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 RON 69.0

$7.35 RON 34.96

97.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 RON 291

$38.38 RON 182

59.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 RON 35.48

$7.21 RON 34.26

3.47%

Cappuccino

$3.64 RON 17.31

$2.14 RON 10.15

70.09%

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

$2.62 RON 12.43

$1.44 RON 6.83

81.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.23

$0.87 RON 4.12

171.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 RON 17.98

$1.08 RON 5.12

250.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 RON 19.53

$1.83 RON 8.72

124.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.89

$1.12 RON 5.31

48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$0.76 RON 3.63

84.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.53

$1.35 RON 6.40

32.59%

Eggs

$3.63 RON 17.25

$2.33 RON 11.07

55.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 42.39

$6.69 RON 31.81

33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RON 32.63

$6.35 RON 30.16

8.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 RON 57.0

$6.24 RON 29.64

92.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$1.01 RON 4.80

28.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.76

$1.49 RON 7.08

9.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.09

$1.28 RON 6.06

16.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.09

$1.44 RON 6.85

76.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.86

$0.60 RON 2.86

35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$0.75 RON 3.57

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 4.07

$0.69 RON 3.28

24.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$0.71 RON 3.38

32.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 31.39

$5.31 RON 25.22

24.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 30.09

$6.27 RON 29.80

0.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.64

$0.88 RON 4.16

35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.53

$1.45 RON 6.91

8.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RON 4.64

$0.75 RON 3.55

30.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 RON 99.4

$22.34 RON 106

-6.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.53 RON 2.53

13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$0.51 RON 2.42

21.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.26

$9.77 RON 46.44

-34.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 RON 9.62

$1.51 RON 7.16

33.77%

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

$28.2K RON 134.0K

$25.5K RON 121.0K

10.76%

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

$26.3K RON 124.9K

$25.5K RON 121.2K

3.02%

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

$196 RON 932

$214 RON 1,018

-8.43%

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

$8.60 RON 40.85

$7.55 RON 35.90

13.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 RON 43.71

$6.33 RON 30.07

45.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 RON 243

$37.82 RON 180

34.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 RON 119

$19.06 RON 90.6

31.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 RON 39.28

$7.40 RON 35.17

11.62%

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

$681 RON 3,235

$412 RON 1,960

65.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K RON 89.1K

$8,151 RON 38.7K

129.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 RON 444

$63.5 RON 302

46.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 RON 189

$42.04 RON 200

-5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 RON 381

$84.2 RON 400

-4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 431

$83.5 RON 397

8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 RON 3,474

$380 RON 1,806

92.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,233

$294 RON 1,399

59.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 RON 5,278

$617 RON 2,931

80.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 RON 3,432

$468 RON 2,223

54.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 RON 17.8K

$1,910 RON 9,080

96.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 RON 10.6K

$1,190 RON 5,658

87.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 RON 6,489

$812 RON 3,860

68.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

12.50%

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

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Last update for Calafat: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$470 34.3%

Calafat

$294 29% 37.3% $175

Eating Out

Bucharest

$229 16.7%

Calafat

$124 12.3% 45.8% $105

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.4%

Calafat

$165 16.2% 26.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 15.6%

Calafat

$228 22.5% 6.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$137 10%

Calafat

$123 12.1% 10.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$68 4.9%

Calafat

$53 5.2% 22.1% $15

Getting Around

Bucharest

$29 2.1%

Calafat

$28 2.8% 0.4% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $731 in Bucharest and $380 in Calafat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 68% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Bucharest vs $38 in Calafat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $165 per month, with Calafat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Calafat

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

18,500

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bucharest Calafat 260 km

From you

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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 Calafat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,371 in Bucharest and $1,016 in Calafat, so Calafat is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 68% 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: $731 in Bucharest versus $380 in Calafat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,371 per month in Bucharest versus $1,016 in Calafat – Calafat is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 6% less than in Calafat. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Calafat gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Calafat wins on affordability, Bucharest on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.