Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Chilanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Chilanga: $592 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Chilanga
Learn more

Chilanga Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Chilanga

🇿🇲 Zambia

$592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Chilanga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $592 in Chilanga.

Bucharest $1,340
Chilanga $592

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $941 in Chilanga.

Bucharest $2,037
Chilanga $941

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,290 in Chilanga.

Bucharest $2,734
Chilanga $1,290

Living in Bucharest is roughly 127% more expensive than in Chilanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Chilanga 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$5.68 ZMW 113

155.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$30.64 ZMW 610

89.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$5.00 ZMW 99.5

49.60%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.86 ZMW 56.9

20.28%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.80 ZMW 15.85

196.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.46 ZMW 9.21

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.24 ZMW 24.63

198.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.22 ZMW 44.19

87.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.72 ZMW 34.30

-2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.23 ZMW 24.46

11.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.14 ZMW 42.58

-19.63%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.01 ZMW 39.92

81.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$10.58 ZMW 211

-14.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.27 ZMW 125

9.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$6.61 ZMW 132

81.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$3.43 ZMW 68.3

-64.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.38 ZMW 47.42

-31.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.72 ZMW 74.0

-57.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.54 ZMW 30.59

64.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$2.64 ZMW 52.5

-70.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.80 ZMW 35.83

-57.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.11 ZMW 22.01

-21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.76 ZMW 15.11

30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$3.09 ZMW 61.4

104.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$10.33 ZMW 205

-39.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.43 ZMW 28.40

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.37 ZMW 47.15

-33.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$2.60 ZMW 51.8

-75.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.53 ZMW 30.51

-60.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$5.22 ZMW 104

23.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.50 ZMW 29.91

30.67%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$7,599 ZMW 151.1K

281.61%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$27.6K ZMW 549.7K

-3.62%

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

$196 RON 927

$82.5 ZMW 1,640

137.56%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$10.31 ZMW 205

-22.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$54.4 ZMW 1,082

-82.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$6.23 ZMW 124

30.82%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$140 ZMW 2,786

348.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$16.6K ZMW 330.0K

-15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$23.42 ZMW 466

282.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$15.73 ZMW 313

143.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$44.76 ZMW 890

77.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-76.72%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Chilanga

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Chilanga

$110 18.7% 51% $115

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Chilanga

$241 40.7% 7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Chilanga

$147 24.9% 31% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Chilanga

$71 11.9% 47.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Chilanga

$12 * 2.1% 81.3% $54

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Chilanga

$10 * 1.7% 63.6% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $31.00 in Chilanga. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $241, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇿🇲 Chilanga

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

107,051

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, 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).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Chilanga 6,670 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Chilanga

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 Chilanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Chilanga differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $592 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,011 in Bucharest and $887 in Chilanga 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.

Shoppers in Bucharest pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $592 in Chilanga – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $592 in Chilanga versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga 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 Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.