Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and El Oued

For one person, living is cheaper in El Oued: $529 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in El Oued
Learn more

El Oued Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

El Oued

🇩🇿 Algeria

$529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in El Oued

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $529 in El Oued.

Bucharest $1,340
El Oued $529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $866 in El Oued.

Bucharest $2,037
El Oued $866

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,203 in El Oued.

Bucharest $2,734
El Oued $1,203

Living in Bucharest is roughly 153% more expensive than in El Oued, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, El Oued 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$2.88 DZD 386

403.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$19.84 DZD 2,657

192.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$4.42 DZD 592

69.23%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.21 DZD 162

184.30%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.12 DZD 150

111.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.51 DZD 68.8

350.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.56 DZD 209

137.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.21 DZD 295

88.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.84 DZD 113

98.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.14 DZD 18.22

878.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.09 DZD 146

57.80%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.23 DZD 165

195.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$8.01 DZD 1,073

13.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$3.87 DZD 519

76.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$14.27 DZD 1,910

-15.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.08 DZD 278

-40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.68 DZD 359

-39.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.07 DZD 143

46.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.91 DZD 122

179.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.58 DZD 78.1

36.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.49 DZD 65.3

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.75 DZD 100

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.27 DZD 36.25

266.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$2.59 DZD 347

143.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.87 DZD 920

-9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.07 DZD 144

11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.91 DZD 256

-17.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.24 DZD 31.73

258.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$5.74 DZD 769

267.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.54 DZD 72.6

18.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.41 DZD 55.5

46.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$5.09 DZD 682

26.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$0.35 DZD 47.42

460.00%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$31.3K DZD 4.2M

-7.35%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$33.8K DZD 4.5M

-21.12%

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

$196 RON 927

$36.44 DZD 4,879

437.57%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$9.24 DZD 1,237

-12.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$11.75 DZD 1,572

-20.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$22.06 DZD 2,953

127.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$4.57 DZD 612

78.34%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$329 DZD 44.1K

90.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$4,581 DZD 613.3K

207.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$31.58 DZD 4,227

183.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$34.49 DZD 4,618

11.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$70.0 DZD 9,366

13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$81.3 DZD 10.9K

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$145 DZD 19.4K

369.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$91.2 DZD 12.2K

391.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$271 DZD 36.3K

299.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$196 DZD 26.2K

270.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$979 DZD 131.1K

283.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$900 DZD 120.5K

143.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$255 DZD 34.2K

421.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.3

27.36%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for El Oued: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

El Oued

$91 17.2% 79.7% $357

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

El Oued

$70 13.2% 69.1% $156

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

El Oued

$173 32.6% 23.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

El Oued

$57 10.9% 73.1% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

El Oued

$98 18.5% 27% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

El Oued

$31 5.9% 53.1% $35

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

El Oued

$9.3 1.8% 67% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $145 in El Oued. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 421% 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 $20.00 in El Oued for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $173 per month, with El Oued cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇩🇿 El Oued

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

05:03 5:03 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

134,699

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

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).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest El Oued 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
El Oued

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 El Oued: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and El Oued differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $529 including rent). El Oued is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 421% 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 $145 in El Oued. 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 $529 in El Oued – a 153% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in El Oued runs roughly 268% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $529 in El Oued versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Oued but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes El Oued 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 El Oued 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 El Oued gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.