Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Constantine

For one person, living is cheaper in Constantine: $605 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,340
/mo nomad
Constantine
🇩🇿 Algeria
$605
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Constantine

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $605 in Constantine.

  • Bucharest $1,340
  • Constantine $605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $998 in Constantine.

  • Bucharest $2,037
  • Constantine $998

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,390 in Constantine.

  • Bucharest $2,734
  • Constantine $1,390

Living in Bucharest is roughly 122% more expensive than in Constantine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Constantine 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.49 RON 68.6
$3.02 DZD 405
379.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.1 RON 275
$22.06 DZD 2,954
163.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.48 RON 35.40
$3.80 DZD 508
96.84%
Cappuccino
$3.44 RON 16.29
$0.66 DZD 88.8
421.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 RON 11.22
$0.58 DZD 77.1
308.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 RON 10.88
$0.23 DZD 30.82
900.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 RON 17.51
$5.79 DZD 775
-36.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 RON 19.69
$1.83 DZD 245
127.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 RON 7.90
$0.99 DZD 132
68.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 RON 6.50
$0.15 DZD 19.70
813.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 RON 8.14
$1.77 DZD 237
-2.82%
Eggs
$3.64 RON 17.22
$1.79 DZD 240
103.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.08 RON 42.98
$13.73 DZD 1,839
-33.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.84 RON 32.35
$4.06 DZD 543
68.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.00 RON 56.8
$14.68 DZD 1,966
-18.26%
Apples (1kg)
$1.23 RON 5.80
$3.19 DZD 427
-61.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.73
$3.14 DZD 420
-48.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$1.42 DZD 190
10.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 RON 12.01
$0.84 DZD 113
202.38%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 RON 3.75
$0.64 DZD 85.8
23.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.66
$0.68 DZD 90.8
13.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 RON 4.13
$0.71 DZD 94.7
22.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 RON 4.70
$0.32 DZD 43.46
209.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.31 RON 29.86
$3.30 DZD 442
91.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.20 RON 29.34
$3.30 DZD 442
87.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 RON 5.63
$0.58 DZD 77.3
105.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$1.10 DZD 148
42.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 RON 4.08
$0.34 DZD 46.19
152.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.10 RON 99.8
$6.62 DZD 886
218.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 RON 3.05
$1.15 DZD 154
-44.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 RON 2.86
$0.18 DZD 23.83
233.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.43 RON 30.43
$3.87 DZD 517
66.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 RON 9.25
$0.35 DZD 46.19
460.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K RON 137.2K
$34.7K DZD 4.6M
-16.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K RON 126.0K
$37.1K DZD 5.0M
-28.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 RON 927
$37.05 DZD 4,960
428.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.04 RON 38.04
$8.68 DZD 1,162
-7.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.35 RON 44.21
$17.53 DZD 2,347
-46.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.2 RON 238
$37.51 DZD 5,022
33.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.33 RON 120
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.15 RON 38.55
$4.38 DZD 586
86.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 RON 2,971
$81.6 DZD 10.9K
669.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.1K RON 66.6K
$2,646 DZD 354.2K
432.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.6 RON 424
$54.8 DZD 7,335
63.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.32 RON 181
$39.18 DZD 5,245
-2.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 RON 375
$78.4 DZD 10.5K
1.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.4 RON 428
$90.8 DZD 12.2K
-0.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$678 RON 3,209
$144 DZD 19.3K
371.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 RON 2,121
$90.0 DZD 12.1K
397.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 RON 5,125
$274 DZD 36.7K
294.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 RON 3,430
$205 DZD 27.4K
254.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,751 RON 17.7K
$908 DZD 121.5K
313.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,195 RON 10.4K
$595 DZD 79.6K
268.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bucharest
Constantine
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,329 RON 6,290
$389 DZD 52.0K
242.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
4.5
50.00%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Constantine: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
$448
Constantine
$90 79.9% $358
Eating Out
Bucharest
$225
Constantine
$79 64.8% $146
Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
$225
Constantine
$197 12.2% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
$213
Constantine
$63 70.3% $150
Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
$134
Constantine
$118 11.6% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
$67
Constantine
$46 30.5% $20
Getting Around
Bucharest
$28
Constantine
$10 64.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $144 in Constantine. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 242% 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 $22.00 in Constantine for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $197 per month, with Constantine cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🇩🇿 Constantine
🕒 Local time
05:21 5:21 AM
03:21 3:21 AM
2 h behind Bucharest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,883,425 Capital
448,374
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR 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).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bucharest Constantine 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bucharest
  • Constantine

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 Constantine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bucharest and in Constantine?
Bucharest and Constantine differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $605 including rent). Constantine is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bucharest or Constantine?
Average pay runs 242% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bucharest and in Constantine?
Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $144 in Constantine. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bucharest or Constantine?
All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $605 in Constantine – a 122% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Bucharest and in Constantine?
A monthly transit pass in Constantine runs roughly 219% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $605 in Constantine versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Constantine but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Constantine the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bucharest and Constantine?
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 Constantine safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bucharest and Constantine 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 Constantine?
Expats usually find Constantine gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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