Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,042 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Gothenburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,042 in Gothenburg.

Bucharest $1,351
Gothenburg $2,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $3,064 in Gothenburg.

Bucharest $2,033
Gothenburg $3,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $4,086 in Gothenburg.

Bucharest $2,715
Gothenburg $4,086

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 34% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 1% above, Gothenburg 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$12.84 SEK 128

12.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$83.5 SEK 834

-30.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$12.20 SEK 122

-38.52%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$4.81 SEK 48.09

-28.69%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$2.81 SEK 28.09

-12.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$2.25 SEK 22.46

3.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$7.07 SEK 70.7

-46.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$7.29 SEK 72.8

-43.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.65 SEK 16.48

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$2.81 SEK 28.12

-51.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$3.23 SEK 32.25

-44.89%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$3.75 SEK 37.44

-2.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$11.21 SEK 112

-23.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$11.49 SEK 115

-40.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$16.27 SEK 163

-27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$2.99 SEK 29.85

-56.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$2.50 SEK 24.98

-37.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$2.98 SEK 29.79

-48.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$4.33 SEK 43.27

-42.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$1.80 SEK 18.03

-53.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.69 SEK 16.86

-52.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.97 SEK 19.66

-57.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$1.57 SEK 15.74

-40.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$8.17 SEK 81.6

-21.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$14.70 SEK 147

-57.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.99 SEK 19.88

-36.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$2.24 SEK 22.41

-28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$3.59 SEK 35.89

-77.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$86.4 SEK 863

-75.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$6.03 SEK 60.2

-90.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$1.64 SEK 16.43

-62.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$58.9 SEK 588

-89.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.72 SEK 17.24

13.95%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$32.4K SEK 323.7K

-13.10%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$33.4K SEK 333.7K

-21.26%

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

$197 RON 931

$101 SEK 1,012

94.30%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$19.36 SEK 193

-56.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$33.87 SEK 338

-72.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$34.60 SEK 346

44.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$24.33 SEK 243

2.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$18.36 SEK 183

-53.92%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$223 SEK 2,229

186.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$4,448 SEK 44.5K

223.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$87.0 SEK 869

4.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$33.02 SEK 330

15.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$85.8 SEK 857

-7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$132 SEK 1,323

-29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$1,035 SEK 10.3K

-34.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$928 SEK 9,273

-51.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$1,768 SEK 17.7K

-37.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$1,386 SEK 13.8K

-47.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$6,117 SEK 61.1K

-38.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$3,377 SEK 33.8K

-35.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$3,444 SEK 34.4K

-61.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

3.06

120.26%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Gothenburg

$928 45.4% 107% $479

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Gothenburg

$267 13.1% 18.4% $42

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Gothenburg

$355 17.4% 60.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Gothenburg

$155 7.6% 27.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Gothenburg

$152 7.4% 12.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Gothenburg

$71 3.5% 6.8% $4.5

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Gothenburg

$115 5.6% 310% $87

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $1,035 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 160% 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 $83.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $355 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

607,882

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Gothenburg 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Gothenburg

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 Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Gothenburg differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $2,042 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 160% lower in Gothenburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Bucharest versus $1,035 in Gothenburg. 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 $2,042 in Gothenburg – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 309% less than in Gothenburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,042 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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 Gothenburg 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.