Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Deva

For one person, living is cheaper in Deva: $862 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Deva
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Deva Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Deva

🇷🇴 Romania

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Deva

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $862 in Deva.

Bucharest $1,337
Deva $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $1,338 in Deva.

Bucharest $2,029
Deva $1,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $1,814 in Deva.

Bucharest $2,721
Deva $1,814

Living in Bucharest is roughly 55% more expensive than in Deva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Deva 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$6.81 RON 32.20

112.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$21.08 RON 99.7

175.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$7.28 RON 34.46

3.43%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$1.71 RON 8.10

101.75%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$2.09 RON 9.89

17.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$1.20 RON 5.68

85.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$1.29 RON 6.13

191.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$2.09 RON 9.90

100.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$1.56 RON 7.39

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$1.27 RON 6.03

2.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.10 RON 5.21

54.55%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$3.18 RON 15.03

19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$7.80 RON 36.91

13.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$5.29 RON 25.05

30.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$8.12 RON 38.42

49.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$1.37 RON 6.49

-5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.38 RON 6.52

15.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$1.53 RON 7.23

2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$2.12 RON 10.05

26.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$0.71 RON 3.37

14.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$0.96 RON 4.54

-17.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$0.85 RON 4.04

7.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.86 RON 4.05

12.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$5.34 RON 25.26

20.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$7.39 RON 34.98

-16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.07 RON 5.06

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.75 RON 8.28

-4.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$0.57 RON 2.67

52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$32.18 RON 152

-34.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$0.79 RON 3.74

-16.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$0.66 RON 3.12

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$8.58 RON 40.59

-27.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$1.62 RON 7.68

19.14%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$28.8K RON 136.1K

-0.12%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$24.7K RON 116.8K

6.63%

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

$196 RON 926

$133 RON 631

46.58%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$8.71 RON 41.23

-2.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$9.54 RON 45.15

-5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$39.18 RON 185

26.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$53.0 RON 251

-52.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$6.28 RON 29.70

31.21%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$577 RON 2,731

10.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$9,789 RON 46.3K

48.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$69.0 RON 326

28.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$44.86 RON 212

-13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$84.9 RON 402

-7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$74.1 RON 351

22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$237 RON 1,122

193.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$184 RON 871

142.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$400 RON 1,892

171.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$353 RON 1,672

101.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$4,841 RON 22.9K

-21.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$3,476 RON 16.4K

-36.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

$1,154 RON 5,458

17.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.65

1.50%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Deva: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Deva

$184 21.3% 58.7% $262

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Deva

$121 14% 46.5% $105

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Deva

$193 22.4% 14.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Deva

$152 17.6% 28.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Deva

$123 14.2% 8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Deva

$52 6% 21.6% $14

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Deva

$39 4.5% 37% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $237 in Deva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 17% 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 $21.00 in Deva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $193 per month, with Deva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Deva

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

61,123

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bucharest Deva 300 km

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Bucharest
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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 Deva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Deva differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $862 including rent). Deva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $695 in Bucharest versus $237 in Deva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $862 in Deva – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Deva runs roughly 53% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $862 in Deva versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Deva but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Deva 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 Deva 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 Deva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.