Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Craiova Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Craiova

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Bucharest versus $1,219 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,105 in Bucharest versus $1,775 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,814 in Bucharest versus $2,331 in Craiova.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 15% more expensive than in Craiova, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 2% above, Craiova is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.50 RON 71.1

$7.47 RON 34.28

107.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 RON 275

$37.52 RON 172

59.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 RON 34.58

$7.73 RON 35.45

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$3.72 RON 17.07

$2.87 RON 13.18

29.62%

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

$2.36 RON 10.82

$2.31 RON 10.59

2.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.55

$1.90 RON 8.73

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 RON 18.26

$2.45 RON 11.26

62.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 RON 20.70

$3.61 RON 16.58

24.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 RON 8.33

$1.32 RON 6.06

37.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 RON 6.62

$0.92 RON 4.22

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 RON 8.36

$1.50 RON 6.86

21.33%

Eggs

$3.94 RON 18.08

$3.44 RON 15.77

14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 RON 43.44

$7.54 RON 34.60

25.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 RON 32.36

$6.70 RON 30.73

5.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.16 RON 55.8

$11.65 RON 53.5

4.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.11

$1.04 RON 4.79

27.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 RON 7.68

$1.52 RON 6.99

9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.51

$1.52 RON 6.99

7.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 RON 12.83

$1.90 RON 8.71

47.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.86

$0.86 RON 3.92

-2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.62

$0.94 RON 4.32

-15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.16

$0.77 RON 3.51

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 RON 4.59

$0.74 RON 3.38

35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 RON 32.12

$6.70 RON 30.75

4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.44 RON 29.54

$6.74 RON 30.90

-4.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.70

$1.18 RON 5.44

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RON 7.99

$1.60 RON 7.36

8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 3.93

$0.89 RON 4.08

-3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.97 RON 101

$26.08 RON 120

-15.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.91

$0.63 RON 2.88

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 RON 3.17

$0.64 RON 2.91

7.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 RON 30.66

$6.62 RON 30.37

0.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 RON 9.05

$1.88 RON 8.61

4.79%

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

$29.3K RON 134.6K

$29.6K RON 136.0K

-1.02%

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

$28.4K RON 130.4K

$27.3K RON 125.1K

4.23%

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

$192 RON 879

$206 RON 947

-7.14%

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

$8.51 RON 39.03

$10.52 RON 48.28

-19.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.09 RON 46.28

$11.68 RON 53.6

-13.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 RON 244

$41.43 RON 190

28.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.78 RON 118

$22.75 RON 104

13.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 RON 39.30

$7.91 RON 36.28

8.34%

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

$664 RON 3,048

$441 RON 2,025

50.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K RON 69.3K

$8,696 RON 39.9K

73.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 RON 434

$58.8 RON 270

60.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.90 RON 188

$49.69 RON 228

-17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 RON 378

$82.6 RON 379

-0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 RON 455

$108 RON 497

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 RON 3,283

$536 RON 2,460

33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,158

$401 RON 1,840

17.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 RON 5,273

$921 RON 4,225

24.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 RON 3,389

$618 RON 2,836

19.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,881 RON 17.8K

$2,767 RON 12.7K

40.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,277 RON 10.4K

$2,050 RON 9,407

11.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,484 RON 6,809

$981 RON 4,500

51.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.84

-1.17%

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

Last update for Bucharest: September 15, 2026

Last update for Craiova: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Bucharest and $536 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 51% 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: $60.0 in Bucharest vs $38.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $202 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Craiova differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,397 vs $1,219 including rent). Craiova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Bucharest, 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: $716 in Bucharest versus $536 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,397 per month in Bucharest versus $1,219 in Craiova – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 19% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,219 in Craiova versus $1,397 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova 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 Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.