Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $171 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Derna

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $171 in Derna.

Bucharest $1,351
Derna $171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $337 in Derna.

Bucharest $2,033
Derna $337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $503 in Derna.

Bucharest $2,715
Derna $503

Living in Bucharest is roughly 692% more expensive than in Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Derna is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$4.01 LYD 25.66

260.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$7.85 LYD 50.2

634.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$3.20 LYD 20.46

134.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 LYD 3.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.15

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$0.45 LYD 2.88

662.22%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.29 LYD 1.89

748.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$0.72 LYD 4.63

129.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$2.29 LYD 14.68

-22.27%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$0.93 LYD 5.95

293.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$3.15 LYD 20.18

115.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$0.75 LYD 4.82

108.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$0.96 LYD 6.14

60.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.80 LYD 5.15

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

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

$197 RON 931

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$14.23 LYD 91.1

-35.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$31.11 LYD 199

191.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$39.65 LYD 254

-4.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$38.36 LYD 245

107.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$39.17 LYD 251

138.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$159 LYD 1,017

591.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$95.5 LYD 611

663.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$196 LYD 1,255

1807.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$78.0 LYD 499

2708.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$169 LYD 1,080

684.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Derna: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Derna

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Derna

–

Cost Breakdown

Bucharest pays 684% 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 Derna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $44.00 per month, with Derna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

05:47 5:47 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Derna 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Derna

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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Derna differ by about 692% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $171 including rent). Derna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 684% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Derna – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $58.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $171 in Derna – a 692% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $171 in Derna versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Derna but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Derna 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 Derna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 692% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.