Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Galati

For one person, living is cheaper in Galati: $1,190 a month against $1,354 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Galati
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Galati Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,354

/mo nomad

Galati

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Galati

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Bucharest versus $1,190 in Galati.

Bucharest $1,354
Galati $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Bucharest versus $1,683 in Galati.

Bucharest $2,043
Galati $1,683

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Bucharest versus $2,176 in Galati.

Bucharest $2,733
Galati $2,176

Living in Bucharest is roughly 14% more expensive than in Galati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.66 RON 69.8

$10.62 RON 50.6

38.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 275

$41.85 RON 199

37.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 RON 35.82

$7.37 RON 35.10

2.04%

Cappuccino

$3.56 RON 16.94

$2.52 RON 12.00

41.27%

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

$2.47 RON 11.78

$2.10 RON 10.02

17.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 RON 10.41

$1.86 RON 8.87

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 RON 17.57

$2.06 RON 9.83

79.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 RON 20.39

$3.18 RON 15.14

34.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.97

$1.19 RON 5.67

40.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.43

$0.70 RON 3.32

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.46

$1.77 RON 8.43

0.56%

Eggs

$3.56 RON 16.97

$3.40 RON 16.22

4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 RON 43.47

$7.49 RON 35.68

21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 32.48

$5.91 RON 28.15

15.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 RON 57.8

$8.54 RON 40.68

42.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 RON 6.03

$1.29 RON 6.12

-2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.73

$1.61 RON 7.66

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.42

$1.51 RON 7.20

3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.10

$1.76 RON 8.38

44.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.73

$0.96 RON 4.56

-18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.69

$1.01 RON 4.79

-23.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 RON 4.23

$0.80 RON 3.83

11.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.28

$0.67 RON 3.18

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 31.21

$5.84 RON 27.82

12.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 RON 30.33

$5.31 RON 25.31

19.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.92

$0.95 RON 4.52

30.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.73

$1.18 RON 5.63

37.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 4.07

$0.77 RON 3.65

10.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 RON 98.7

$26.96 RON 128

-23.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.92

$0.60 RON 2.88

1.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.92

$0.70 RON 3.34

-12.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 RON 29.36

$7.10 RON 33.85

-13.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 RON 9.52

$1.71 RON 8.15

16.96%

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

$27.9K RON 133.2K

$28.5K RON 135.6K

-1.83%

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

$25.3K RON 120.7K

$24.7K RON 117.5K

2.68%

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

$192 RON 915

$146 RON 695

31.64%

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

$7.92 RON 37.72

$7.61 RON 36.27

4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 RON 42.68

$7.70 RON 36.68

16.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 238

$36.70 RON 175

36.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 RON 118

$34.89 RON 166

-28.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 RON 40.53

$6.24 RON 29.75

36.38%

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

$686 RON 3,268

$601 RON 2,865

14.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.7K

$4,839 RON 23.1K

197.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 RON 430

$97.2 RON 463

-7.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 RON 185

$31.71 RON 151

22.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 RON 376

$60.9 RON 290

29.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 RON 439

$83.6 RON 399

10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 RON 3,388

$514 RON 2,451

38.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 RON 2,201

$471 RON 2,244

-1.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 RON 5,019

$778 RON 3,705

35.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 RON 3,443

$550 RON 2,623

31.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,634 RON 17.3K

$1,723 RON 8,210

110.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,173 RON 10.4K

$1,324 RON 6,309

64.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,450

$911 RON 4,341

48.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.2

-6.25%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 26, 2026

Last update for Galati: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$462 34.1%

Galati

$471 39.6% 2% $9

Eating Out

Bucharest

$228 16.9%

Galati

$170 14.3% 25.5% $58

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.6%

Galati

$182 15.3% 19.1% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$209 15.4%

Galati

$161 13.5% 22.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$135 10%

Galati

$123 10.3% 8.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Galati

$49 4.1% 26.6% $18

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Galati

$34 2.9% 22.8% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $711 in Bucharest and $514 in Galati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $58 in Bucharest vs $42 in Galati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $182 per month, with Galati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Galati

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

249,432

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bucharest Galati 190 km

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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 Galati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,354 in Bucharest and $1,190 in Galati, so Galati is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% 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: $711 in Bucharest versus $514 in Galati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,354 per month in Bucharest versus $1,190 in Galati – Galati is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 23% less than in Galati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Galati gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Galati wins on affordability, Bucharest on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.