Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Cuttack

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuttack: $354 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Cuttack
Learn more

Cuttack Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Cuttack

🇮🇳 India

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Cuttack

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $354 in Cuttack.

Bucharest $1,340
Cuttack $354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $547 in Cuttack.

Bucharest $2,037
Cuttack $547

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $740 in Cuttack.

Bucharest $2,734
Cuttack $740

Living in Bucharest is roughly 279% more expensive than in Cuttack, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Cuttack 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$0.88 ₹83.3

1546.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$7.95 ₹755

630.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$4.11 ₹390

82.00%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.39 ₹132

147.48%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.44 ₹41.75

438.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.15 ₹14.06

1433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.30 ₹123

184.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.33 ₹221

78.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.54 ₹51.7

209.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.43 ₹40.58

218.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.57 ₹54.3

201.75%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$0.83 ₹79.2

338.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$3.19 ₹302

184.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$2.60 ₹246

163.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.11 ₹201

-41.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$0.73 ₹69.8

123.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.29 ₹123

21.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.40 ₹38.06

535.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.23 ₹21.72

243.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.37 ₹34.76

108.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.49 ₹46.30

77.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.32 ₹30.44

209.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$2.85 ₹270

121.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.39 ₹607

-2.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.76 ₹168

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.25 ₹214

-30.22%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.93 ₹658

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.22 ₹20.92

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$11.64 ₹1,105

81.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.02 ₹97.1

-37.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.22 ₹20.91

172.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$2.13 ₹202

201.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.10 ₹105

78.18%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$10.4K ₹987.0K

178.96%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$21.0K ₹2.0M

26.93%

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

$196 RON 927

$38.93 ₹3,696

403.19%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$3.27 ₹310

145.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$6.31 ₹599

48.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$19.13 ₹1,817

162.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$1.54 ₹146

1544.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$2.41 ₹229

238.17%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$20.73 ₹1,968

2929.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$2,334 ₹221.6K

503.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$14.56 ₹1,382

515.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$9.04 ₹858

323.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$45.02 ₹4,275

76.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$18.95 ₹1,799

376.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$135 ₹12.9K

400.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$84.2 ₹7,995

432.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$282 ₹26.8K

284.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$188 ₹17.9K

285.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$393 ₹37.3K

854.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$234 ₹22.2K

839.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$447 ₹42.4K

197.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.1

-16.67%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cuttack: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Cuttack

$84 23.8% 81.2% $364

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Cuttack

$50 14% 78% $176

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Cuttack

$93 26.4% 58.5% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Cuttack

$49 13.7% 77.3% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Cuttack

$39 11.1% 70.6% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Cuttack

$24 6.8% 64% $43

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Cuttack

$15 4.1% 48.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $135 in Cuttack. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 197% 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 $8.00 in Cuttack for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $93.0 per month, with Cuttack cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Cuttack

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

00:52 12:52 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

610,189

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Cuttack 6,050 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Cuttack

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 Cuttack: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Cuttack differ by about 279% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $354 including rent). Cuttack is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 197% 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $135 in Cuttack. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $354 in Cuttack – a 279% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cuttack runs roughly 81% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $354 in Cuttack versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuttack but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Cuttack 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 Cuttack 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 Cuttack gentler on the wallet – expenses run 279% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.