Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Ghaziabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Ghaziabad: $435 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Ghaziabad
Learn more

Ghaziabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Ghaziabad

🇮🇳 India

$435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Ghaziabad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $435 in Ghaziabad.

Bucharest $1,351
Ghaziabad $435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $667 in Ghaziabad.

Bucharest $2,033
Ghaziabad $667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $899 in Ghaziabad.

Bucharest $2,715
Ghaziabad $899

Living in Bucharest is roughly 210% more expensive than in Ghaziabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Ghaziabad is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$3.13 ₹303

361.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$16.02 ₹1,550

259.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$3.68 ₹356

103.80%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$1.80 ₹175

90.56%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.43 ₹41.79

472.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.15 ₹14.29

1453.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$2.40 ₹232

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$3.67 ₹355

11.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$0.65 ₹63.2

153.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$0.49 ₹47.80

175.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$0.79 ₹76.4

125.32%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$1.12 ₹109

226.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$3.71 ₹359

131.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$3.07 ₹297

121.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$1.51 ₹146

-14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$0.68 ₹65.7

129.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$0.67 ₹64.4

129.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$0.45 ₹43.78

451.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.32 ₹31.28

159.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$0.48 ₹46.16

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$0.29 ₹28.25

189.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.33 ₹31.49

181.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$3.93 ₹380

63.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$11.41 ₹1,104

-44.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$2.16 ₹209

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$4.66 ₹451

-65.67%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.85 ₹566

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.50 ₹48.68

62.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$15.58 ₹1,508

35.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.53 ₹51.3

13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.22 ₹21.32

177.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$1.77 ₹171

248.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.02 ₹99.0

92.16%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$12.3K ₹1.2M

128.15%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$19.2K ₹1.9M

36.64%

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

$197 RON 931

$49.36 ₹4,777

298.80%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$3.34 ₹323

149.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$8.89 ₹861

3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$15.94 ₹1,543

212.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$4.80 ₹465

420.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$2.61 ₹253

224.14%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$82.0 ₹7,934

679.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$1,516 ₹146.8K

849.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$25.30 ₹2,449

258.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$23.75 ₹2,298

60.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$48.48 ₹4,692

64.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$29.34 ₹2,839

217.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$135 ₹13.1K

397.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$82.9 ₹8,019

441.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$295 ₹28.5K

272.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$162 ₹15.7K

348.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$1,097 ₹106.2K

240.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$731 ₹70.8K

199.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$379 ₹36.7K

248.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

9.21

-26.82%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ghaziabad: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Ghaziabad

$83 19.1% 81.5% $366

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Ghaziabad

$79 18.3% 64.8% $146

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Ghaziabad

$112 25.9% 49.5% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Ghaziabad

$62 14.2% 71.3% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Ghaziabad

$57 13.2% 57.9% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Ghaziabad

$21 4.9% 68.3% $46

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Ghaziabad

$19 4.4% 31.5% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $135 in Ghaziabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 249% 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 $16.00 in Ghaziabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $112 per month, with Ghaziabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Ghaziabad

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

12:30 12:30 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

1,729,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Ghaziabad 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Ghaziabad

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 Ghaziabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Ghaziabad differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $435 including rent). Ghaziabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 249% 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $135 in Ghaziabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $435 in Ghaziabad – a 210% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ghaziabad runs roughly 36% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $435 in Ghaziabad versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ghaziabad but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Ghaziabad 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 Ghaziabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.