Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Gevgelija

For one person, living is cheaper in Gevgelija: $782 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Gevgelija
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Gevgelija Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Gevgelija

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Gevgelija

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $782 in Gevgelija.

Bucharest $1,340
Gevgelija $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,226 in Gevgelija.

Bucharest $2,037
Gevgelija $1,226

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,670 in Gevgelija.

Bucharest $2,734
Gevgelija $1,670

Living in Bucharest is roughly 71% more expensive than in Gevgelija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Gevgelija 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$7.12 MKD 388

103.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$31.15 MKD 1,699

86.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$5.28 MKD 288

41.67%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.33 MKD 72.3

158.65%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.94 MKD 51.3

152.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.69 MKD 37.73

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.17 MKD 63.6

216.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.02 MKD 165

37.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.23 MKD 66.9

35.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.65 MKD 35.19

110.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.72 MKD 39.18

138.89%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.14 MKD 117

70.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.06 MKD 385

28.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.53 MKD 302

23.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$11.01 MKD 601

8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.11 MKD 60.5

10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.11 MKD 60.6

46.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.36 MKD 74.1

15.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.86 MKD 101

36.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.52 MKD 28.44

51.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.38 MKD 20.57

102.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.35 MKD 19.00

148.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.53 MKD 28.87

86.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$2.40 MKD 131

162.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$3.70 MKD 202

67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.06 MKD 58.0

12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.43 MKD 78.0

9.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.74 MKD 40.45

16.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$20.23 MKD 1,104

4.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.11 MKD 60.7

-42.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.62 MKD 33.56

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$5.56 MKD 303

15.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.57 MKD 85.6

24.84%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$35.1K MKD 1.9M

-17.41%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

-1.52%

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

$196 RON 927

$92.4 MKD 5,038

112.12%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$18.24 MKD 995

-55.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$19.08 MKD 1,041

-51.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$23.96 MKD 1,307

109.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$16.12 MKD 879

57.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$5.37 MKD 293

51.77%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$109 MKD 5,949

475.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$5,751 MKD 313.7K

144.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$82.5 MKD 4,498

8.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$36.31 MKD 1,980

5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$54.4 MKD 2,967

45.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$113 MKD 6,149

-19.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$245 MKD 13.4K

176.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$190 MKD 10.3K

136.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$426 MKD 23.2K

154.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$330 MKD 18.0K

119.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,725 MKD 94.1K

117.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,125 MKD 61.3K

95.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$579 MKD 31.6K

129.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.23

59.57%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gevgelija: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Gevgelija

$190 24.3% 57.7% $259

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Gevgelija

$107 13.7% 52.4% $118

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Gevgelija

$165 21.1% 26.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Gevgelija

$130 16.6% 39.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Gevgelija

$129 16.5% 3.9% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Gevgelija

$35 4.4% 47.8% $32

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Gevgelija

$27 3.5% 2.9% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $245 in Gevgelija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 130% 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 $31.00 in Gevgelija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $165 per month, with Gevgelija cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇲🇰 Gevgelija

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

20,664

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Bucharest Gevgelija 470 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 Gevgelija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Gevgelija differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $782 including rent). Gevgelija is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 130% 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 $245 in Gevgelija. 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 $782 in Gevgelija – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gevgelija runs roughly 4% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $782 in Gevgelija versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gevgelija but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Gevgelija 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 Gevgelija 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 Gevgelija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.