Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Compiegne

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,645 in Compiegne, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,340
/mo nomad
Compiegne
🇫🇷 France
$1,645
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Compiegne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,645 in Compiegne.

  • Bucharest $1,340
  • Compiegne $1,645

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,568 in Compiegne.

  • Bucharest $2,037
  • Compiegne $2,568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,490 in Compiegne.

  • Bucharest $2,734
  • Compiegne $3,490

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 19% less than in Compiegne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Compiegne is 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.49 RON 68.6
$16.65 €14.81
-12.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.1 RON 275
$63.0 €56.1
-7.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.48 RON 35.40
$13.42 €11.94
-44.26%
Cappuccino
$3.44 RON 16.29
$3.73 €3.32
-7.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 RON 11.22
$2.86 €2.54
-17.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 RON 10.88
$1.66 €1.48
38.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 RON 17.51
$7.90 €7.03
-53.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 RON 19.69
$5.49 €4.88
-24.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 RON 7.90
$1.26 €1.12
32.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 RON 6.50
$1.89 €1.68
-27.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 RON 8.14
$2.87 €2.56
-40.07%
Eggs
$3.64 RON 17.22
$4.05 €3.60
-10.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.08 RON 42.98
$21.06 €18.74
-56.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.84 RON 32.35
$12.44 €11.07
-45.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.00 RON 56.8
$23.43 €20.84
-48.78%
Apples (1kg)
$1.23 RON 5.80
$3.44 €3.06
-64.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.73
$2.21 €1.97
-26.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$2.27 €2.02
-30.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 RON 12.01
$3.06 €2.72
-16.99%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 RON 3.75
$1.83 €1.63
-56.83%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.66
$1.99 €1.77
-61.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 RON 4.13
$1.71 €1.52
-49.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 RON 4.70
$0.67 €0.60
47.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.31 RON 29.86
$13.82 €12.30
-54.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.20 RON 29.34
$7.44 €6.61
-16.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 RON 5.63
$2.40 €2.13
-50.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$3.37 €3.00
-53.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
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
$2.17 €1.93
-70.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 RON 2.86
$2.17 €1.93
-72.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.43 RON 30.43
$23.93 €21.29
-73.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 RON 9.25
$2.13 €1.89
-7.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K RON 137.2K
$34.9K €31.0K
-16.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K RON 126.0K
$35.2K €31.3K
-24.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 RON 927
$207 €184
-5.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.04 RON 38.04
$15.44 €13.73
-47.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.35 RON 44.21
$30.48 €27.11
-69.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.2 RON 238
$41.62 €37.02
20.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.33 RON 120
$38.76 €34.48
-34.65%
Cinema Ticket
$8.15 RON 38.55
$13.68 €12.17
-40.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 RON 2,971
$624 €555
0.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.1K RON 66.6K
$8,236 €7,325
71.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.6 RON 424
$85.8 €76.3
4.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.32 RON 181
$39.82 €35.42
-3.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 RON 375
$104 €92.2
-23.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.4 RON 428
$102 €90.4
-11.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$678 RON 3,209
$677 €602
0.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 RON 2,121
$507 €451
-11.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 RON 5,125
$1,280 €1,138
-15.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 RON 3,430
$935 €832
-22.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,751 RON 17.7K
$2,751 €2,447
36.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,195 RON 10.4K
$2,032 €1,808
8.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bucharest
Compiegne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,329 RON 6,290
$2,177 €1,936
-38.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
3.72
81.45%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Compiegne: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
$448
Compiegne
$507 13.1% $59
Eating Out
Bucharest
$225
Compiegne
$287 27.3% $62
Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
$225
Compiegne
$368 63.4% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
$213
Compiegne
$253 18.5% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
$134
Compiegne
$149 11.2% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
$67
Compiegne
$69 3.7% $2.5
Getting Around
Bucharest
$28
Compiegne
$13 * 53.8% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $677 in Compiegne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Compiegne pays 64% 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 $63.0 in Compiegne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $368 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🇫🇷 Compiegne
🕒 Local time
08:26 8:26 AM
07:26 7:26 AM
1 h behind Bucharest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,883,425 Capital
40,394
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bucharest Compiegne 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bucharest
  • Compiegne

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 Compiegne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bucharest and in Compiegne?
Bucharest and Compiegne differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,645 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Compiegne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Bucharest and in Compiegne?
Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $677 in Compiegne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Compiegne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bucharest or Compiegne?
All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,645 in Compiegne – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,645 in Compiegne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Compiegne. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bucharest and Compiegne?
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.
Is Bucharest or Compiegne safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bucharest and Compiegne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Bucharest or Compiegne?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Compiegne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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