Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Chitila Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Chitila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Bucharest versus $1,164 in Chitila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,145 in Bucharest versus $1,808 in Chitila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,936 in Bucharest versus $2,453 in Chitila.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 16% more expensive than Chitila, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Chitila is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 RON 60.0

$13.76 RON 59.8

0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 RON 298

$68.0 RON 296

0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 34.13

$7.93 RON 34.48

-1.01%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 14.74

$3.36 RON 14.60

0.89%

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

$2.33 RON 10.13

$1.98 RON 8.60

17.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 RON 9.97

$1.32 RON 5.74

73.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RON 15.09

$2.32 RON 10.11

49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 RON 17.31

$3.25 RON 14.15

22.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 RON 7.52

$1.70 RON 7.41

1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 5.87

$1.24 RON 5.38

8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 RON 8.32

$1.83 RON 7.96

4.37%

Eggs

$3.49 RON 15.17

$3.21 RON 13.95

8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 RON 41.64

$9.44 RON 41.08

1.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 RON 30.31

$6.76 RON 29.39

3.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 RON 52.7

$11.50 RON 50.0

5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.05

$1.34 RON 5.83

3.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.44

$1.77 RON 7.69

-3.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.01

$1.71 RON 7.42

7.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 RON 10.90

$2.53 RON 11.02

-0.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$1.00 RON 4.35

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.17

$0.98 RON 4.25

-2.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 3.97

$0.94 RON 4.07

-3.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RON 3.89

$0.91 RON 3.96

-2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 RON 27.61

$6.59 RON 28.65

-3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 RON 30.55

$7.02 RON 30.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 RON 5.53

$1.13 RON 4.93

12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 RON 8.40

$1.86 RON 8.08

3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 RON 4.93

$0.67 RON 2.90

68.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 RON 83.4

$19.90 RON 86.6

-3.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 RON 2.92

$0.68 RON 2.95

-1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.61

$0.61 RON 2.66

-1.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 RON 29.82

$6.87 RON 29.89

-0.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.50

$1.73 RON 7.51

-0.58%

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

$29.1K RON 126.4K

$27.9K RON 121.3K

4.22%

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

$30.3K RON 131.8K

$27.4K RON 119.3K

10.52%

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

$181 RON 786

$179 RON 778

0.94%

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

$8.87 RON 38.60

$9.08 RON 39.48

-2.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.10 RON 48.28

$11.46 RON 49.83

-3.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 RON 239

$41.14 RON 179

33.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.47 RON 128

$18.96 RON 82.5

55.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.16 RON 39.86

$8.23 RON 35.78

11.30%

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

$658 RON 2,861

$552 RON 2,403

19.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K RON 62.2K

$8,261 RON 35.9K

73.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 RON 356

$82.3 RON 358

-0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 RON 196

$65.1 RON 283

-30.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 RON 399

$90.7 RON 394

1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 RON 471

$91.7 RON 399

18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 RON 2,798

$394 RON 1,714

63.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 RON 1,927

$286 RON 1,246

54.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 RON 5,781

$576 RON 2,505

130.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,672

$439 RON 1,911

92.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,172 RON 18.2K

$1,788 RON 7,779

133.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 RON 9,997

$1,358 RON 5,907

69.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,515 RON 6,589

$938 RON 4,082

61.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

6.78

4.72%

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

Last update for Bucharest: April 28, 2026

Last update for Chitila: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Bucharest and $394 in Chitila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 61% 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: $68.0 in Bucharest vs $68.0 in Chitila. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $226, with Chitila cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chitila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Chitila differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,354 vs $1,164 including rent). Chitila is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bucharest pays 61% more on average, 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: $643 in Bucharest versus $394 in Chitila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,354 per month in Bucharest versus $1,164 in Chitila – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chitila runs roughly 4% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,164 in Chitila versus $1,354 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chitila but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Chitila 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 Chitila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.