Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Castel

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,406 in Castel, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Castel

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Castel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,406 in Castel.

Bucharest $1,351
Castel $2,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $3,787 in Castel.

Bucharest $2,033
Castel $3,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $5,167 in Castel.

Bucharest $2,715
Castel $5,167

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 44% less than in Castel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 1% above, Castel 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$39.85 GGP 30.16

-63.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$80.5 GGP 60.9

-28.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$5.05 GGP 3.82

-32.08%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$3.23 GGP 2.45

-23.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$3.93 GGP 2.98

-40.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$4.32 GGP 3.27

-12.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$6.53 GGP 4.94

-37.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.95 GGP 1.47

-15.38%

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

$2.18 GGP 1.65

-10.09%

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

$26.18 GGP 19.82

-68.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$67.3 GGP 50.9

-86.34%

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

$1,986 GGP 1,503

-66.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$1,844 GGP 1,396

-75.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$4,012 GGP 3,037

-72.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$3,740 GGP 2,831

-80.51%

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 Castel: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Castel

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Castel

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Castel

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Castel

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Castel

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Castel

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Castel

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $1,986 in Castel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $80.0 in Castel. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $19.00, with Castel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇬🇬 Castel

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Guernsey Pound GGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1 GGP = 1.32 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GGP, 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).

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 GGP (1 GGP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 GGP (1 GGP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Castel 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Castel

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 Castel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Castel differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $2,406 including rent). Bucharest 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 $3,609 in Castel 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 $1,986 in Castel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bucharest – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $80.0 in Castel. 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 $2,406 in Castel – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,406 in Castel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Castel. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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 Castel 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Castel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.