Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Goma

For one person, living is cheaper in Goma: $430 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Goma

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Goma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $430 in Goma.

Bucharest $1,340
Goma $430

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $751 in Goma.

Bucharest $2,037
Goma $751

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,071 in Goma.

Bucharest $2,734
Goma $1,071

Living in Bucharest is roughly 212% more expensive than in Goma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Goma 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$14.95 CDF 33.9K

-3.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$45.52 CDF 103.1K

27.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$10.19 CDF 23.1K

-26.59%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$3.51 CDF 7,960

-1.99%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.03 CDF 2,331

130.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.01 CDF 2,292

127.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.19 CDF 2,685

210.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$5.03 CDF 11.4K

-17.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.98 CDF 2,211

70.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.22 CDF 2,758

40.98%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.60 CDF 3,625

127.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$6.03 CDF 13.7K

50.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$2.57 CDF 5,814

166.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$5.02 CDF 11.4K

139.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.97 CDF 4,470

-37.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.52 CDF 3,448

3.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.51 CDF 1,165

54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.69 CDF 1,552

43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$2.02 CDF 4,567

-41.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.52 CDF 5,698

-37.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

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

$196 RON 927

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$14.71 CDF 33.3K

-45.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$60.4 CDF 136.9K

-84.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$30.38 CDF 68.8K

65.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

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

$628 RON 2,971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Goma: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Goma

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Goma

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Goma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Goma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Goma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Goma

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Goma

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $46.00 in Goma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $108 per month, with Goma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇩 Goma

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, 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).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Goma 5,140 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Goma

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 Goma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Goma differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $430 including rent). Goma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,011 in Bucharest and $645 in Goma 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Goma – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $58.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $430 in Goma – a 212% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $430 in Goma versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Goma but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Goma 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 Goma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.