Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Calarasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $884 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Calarasi
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Calarasi Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Calarasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Calarasi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $884 in Calarasi.

Bucharest $1,337
Calarasi $884

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $1,371 in Calarasi.

Bucharest $2,029
Calarasi $1,371

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $1,858 in Calarasi.

Bucharest $2,721
Calarasi $1,858

Living in Bucharest is roughly 51% more expensive than in Calarasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Calarasi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$8.99 RON 42.55

60.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$34.27 RON 162

69.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$7.82 RON 37.01

-3.71%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$2.09 RON 9.90

65.07%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$1.85 RON 8.77

32.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$1.63 RON 7.73

36.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$1.62 RON 7.65

132.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$1.49 RON 7.04

181.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$1.45 RON 6.88

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$0.96 RON 4.52

35.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.49 RON 7.06

14.09%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$2.75 RON 13.00

37.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$7.59 RON 35.91

16.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$4.16 RON 19.69

65.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$8.62 RON 40.77

40.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$1.10 RON 5.19

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.39 RON 6.59

15.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$1.27 RON 6.02

23.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$1.45 RON 6.87

84.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$0.43 RON 2.06

88.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$0.60 RON 2.85

31.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$0.40 RON 1.89

127.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.77 RON 3.65

25.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$6.27 RON 29.65

2.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$4.19 RON 19.84

47.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$0.98 RON 4.64

25.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.39 RON 6.58

20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$0.44 RON 2.08

97.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$12.59 RON 59.6

66.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$0.60 RON 2.85

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$0.61 RON 2.87

-1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$6.21 RON 29.37

-0.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$1.63 RON 7.74

18.40%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$28.1K RON 132.8K

2.37%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$25.1K RON 118.6K

5.04%

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

$196 RON 926

$164 RON 777

19.15%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$6.23 RON 29.48

36.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$6.75 RON 31.92

34.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$47.96 RON 227

3.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$53.2 RON 252

-52.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$8.23 RON 38.94

0.12%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$399 RON 1,888

59.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$5,817 RON 27.5K

150.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$73.4 RON 347

20.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$21.12 RON 99.9

83.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$90.8 RON 430

-13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$96.8 RON 458

-6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$310 RON 1,465

124.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$186 RON 880

139.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$414 RON 1,958

162.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$321 RON 1,517

122.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$1,187 RON 5,614

219.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$946 RON 4,474

132.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

$714 RON 3,380

89.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.85

-14.01%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Calarasi

$186 21% 58.3% $260

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Calarasi

$146 16.5% 35.5% $80

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Calarasi

$166 18.8% 26.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Calarasi

$177 20% 16.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Calarasi

$127 14.4% 4.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Calarasi

$64 7.3% 2.4% $1.6

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Calarasi

$18 2% 36% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $310 in Calarasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 90% 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 $34.00 in Calarasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $166 per month, with Calarasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Calarasi

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

65,181

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Calarasi differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $884 including rent). Calarasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 90% 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: $695 in Bucharest versus $310 in Calarasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $884 in Calarasi – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Calarasi runs roughly 67% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $884 in Calarasi versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Calarasi but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Calarasi 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 Calarasi 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 Calarasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.