Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Giurgiu Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Giurgiu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,430 in Bucharest versus $1,151 in Giurgiu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Bucharest versus $1,790 in Giurgiu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Bucharest versus $2,430 in Giurgiu.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 24% more expensive than in Giurgiu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 4% above, Giurgiu is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.63 RON 70.6

$13.00 RON 58.7

20.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 RON 281

$55.4 RON 250

12.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 35.44

$7.94 RON 35.84

-1.13%

Cappuccino

$3.63 RON 16.37

$3.84 RON 17.32

-5.47%

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

$2.48 RON 11.18

$2.52 RON 11.40

-1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 10.64

$2.36 RON 10.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 RON 17.70

$3.29 RON 14.87

19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 RON 20.31

$3.59 RON 16.19

25.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.12

$1.63 RON 7.38

10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 RON 6.36

$1.50 RON 6.79

-6.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.03

$1.82 RON 8.22

-2.20%

Eggs

$3.88 RON 17.50

$3.73 RON 16.83

4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 RON 43.40

$9.61 RON 43.37

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 RON 32.32

$7.15 RON 32.28

0.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 RON 55.3

$12.90 RON 58.3

-5.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 RON 5.93

$1.62 RON 7.29

-19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 7.66

$1.60 RON 7.21

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.35

$1.83 RON 8.27

-10.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 RON 12.54

$2.88 RON 12.99

-3.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 RON 3.89

$0.81 RON 3.64

6.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.36

$0.91 RON 4.09

-18.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 RON 4.25

$0.88 RON 3.98

6.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.40

$0.86 RON 3.88

12.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 RON 31.01

$6.18 RON 27.89

11.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 RON 30.05

$6.52 RON 29.42

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.67

$1.31 RON 5.93

-3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 7.81

$1.96 RON 8.86

-11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 RON 4.86

$0.75 RON 3.38

44.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 RON 98.6

$23.00 RON 104

-5.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 2.88

$0.72 RON 3.26

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 RON 3.08

$0.67 RON 3.05

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 RON 29.18

$6.77 RON 30.58

-4.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 RON 8.96

$1.92 RON 8.68

3.13%

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

$29.4K RON 132.6K

$30.3K RON 136.8K

-3.06%

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

$27.8K RON 125.7K

$27.2K RON 122.6K

2.48%

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

$204 RON 920

$191 RON 861

6.82%

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

$8.53 RON 38.52

$8.21 RON 37.06

3.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.56

$9.80 RON 44.26

0.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 RON 247

$40.91 RON 185

33.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 RON 115

$21.88 RON 98.8

16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 RON 40.00

$10.11 RON 45.66

-12.36%

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

$663 RON 2,994

$476 RON 2,147

39.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K RON 69.0K

$7,114 RON 32.1K

114.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 RON 430

$53.0 RON 239

79.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.99 RON 185

$35.58 RON 161

15.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 RON 373

$80.9 RON 365

2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 454

$93.6 RON 423

7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 RON 3,204

$411 RON 1,856

72.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 RON 2,214

$302 RON 1,366

62.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 RON 5,101

$638 RON 2,881

77.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 RON 3,426

$480 RON 2,169

57.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,914 RON 17.7K

$1,958 RON 8,838

99.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,317 RON 10.5K

$1,362 RON 6,147

70.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,486 RON 6,708

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

7.2

-5.14%

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

Last update for Bucharest: September 1, 2026

Last update for Giurgiu: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $710 in Bucharest and $411 in Giurgiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Bucharest vs $55.0 in Giurgiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $238, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

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 Giurgiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Giurgiu differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,430 vs $1,151 including rent). Giurgiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,144 in Bucharest and $1,726 in Giurgiu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $710 in Bucharest versus $411 in Giurgiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,430 per month in Bucharest versus $1,151 in Giurgiu – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Giurgiu runs roughly 5% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,151 in Giurgiu versus $1,430 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Giurgiu but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.