Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Hafnarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,371 a month against $3,846 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 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
183

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Hafnarfjordur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Bucharest versus $3,846 in Hafnarfjordur.

Bucharest $1,371
Hafnarfjordur $3,846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Bucharest versus $5,369 in Hafnarfjordur.

Bucharest $2,067
Hafnarfjordur $5,369

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,764 in Bucharest versus $6,892 in Hafnarfjordur.

Bucharest $2,764
Hafnarfjordur $6,892

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 64% less than in Hafnarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 RON 69.4

$30.68 ISK 3,728

-52.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 RON 293

$123 ISK 14.9K

-50.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 RON 35.68

$16.39 ISK 1,992

-54.48%

Cappuccino

$3.64 RON 17.41

$6.75 ISK 820

-46.07%

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

$2.62 RON 12.50

$3.23 ISK 392

-18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.29

$3.19 ISK 388

-26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 RON 18.08

$13.86 ISK 1,684

-72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 RON 19.64

$12.40 ISK 1,506

-66.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.94

$1.72 ISK 208

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.68

$4.18 ISK 508

-66.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.58

$3.66 ISK 445

-51.09%

Eggs

$3.63 RON 17.35

$7.24 ISK 879

-49.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 42.63

$21.80 ISK 2,648

-59.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RON 32.81

$23.99 ISK 2,915

-71.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 RON 57.3

$42.62 ISK 5,178

-71.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.20

$3.26 ISK 396

-60.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.81

$2.39 ISK 290

-31.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.13

$3.25 ISK 394

-54.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.15

$6.37 ISK 773

-60.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.88

$3.88 ISK 472

-79.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.81

$1.64 ISK 199

-51.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 4.09

$3.70 ISK 450

-76.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.48

$1.84 ISK 224

-48.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 31.57

$14.20 ISK 1,725

-53.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 30.26

$23.47 ISK 2,852

-73.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.67

$3.61 ISK 439

-67.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.57

$3.37 ISK 409

-53.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RON 4.66

$5.15 ISK 625

-80.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 RON 100.0

$84.8 ISK 10.3K

-75.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.87

$6.61 ISK 803

-90.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.95

$2.82 ISK 342

-78.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.43

$80.4 ISK 9,764

-92.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 RON 9.68

$2.08 ISK 253

-2.88%

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

$28.2K RON 134.8K

$68.1K ISK 8.3M

-58.59%

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

$26.3K RON 125.6K

$56.4K ISK 6.8M

-53.39%

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

$196 RON 938

$68.3 ISK 8,298

187.23%

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

$8.60 RON 41.09

$33.19 ISK 4,032

-74.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 RON 43.95

$85.9 ISK 10.4K

-89.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 RON 244

$65.7 ISK 7,976

-22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 RON 39.50

$16.72 ISK 2,032

-50.60%

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

$681 RON 3,253

$1,188 ISK 144.4K

-42.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K RON 89.6K

$25.6K ISK 3.1M

-26.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 RON 446

$124 ISK 15.0K

-24.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 RON 191

$66.8 ISK 8,115

-40.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 RON 383

$121 ISK 14.6K

-33.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 433

$248 ISK 30.2K

-63.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 RON 3,494

$2,434 ISK 295.7K

-69.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,245

$2,072 ISK 251.7K

-77.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 RON 5,308

$3,248 ISK 394.6K

-65.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 RON 3,451

$2,612 ISK 317.4K

-72.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 RON 17.9K

$6,886 ISK 836.6K

-45.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 RON 10.7K

$7,030 ISK 854.1K

-68.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 RON 6,526

$4,632 ISK 562.8K

-70.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.81

-23.38%

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

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hafnarfjordur: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$470 34.3%

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.9% 341% $1.6K

Eating Out

Bucharest

$229 16.7%

Hafnarfjordur

$495 12.9% 116% $266

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.4%

Hafnarfjordur

$615 16% 174% $390

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 15.6%

Hafnarfjordur

$187 4.9% 12.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$137 10%

Hafnarfjordur

$252 6.5% 84.1% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$68 4.9%

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6% 46.7% $32

Getting Around

Bucharest

$29 2.1%

Hafnarfjordur

$126 3.3% 343% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $731 in Bucharest and $2,434 in Hafnarfjordur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafnarfjordur pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Bucharest vs $123 in Hafnarfjordur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $615 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

20:43 8:43 PM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

31,525

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Hafnarfjordur 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Hafnarfjordur

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 Hafnarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,371 in Bucharest and $3,846 in Hafnarfjordur, so Bucharest is about 64% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Bucharest. 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: $731 in Bucharest versus $2,434 in Hafnarfjordur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,371 per month in Bucharest versus $3,846 in Hafnarfjordur – Bucharest is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 75% less than in Hafnarfjordur. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,371 in Bucharest versus $3,846 in Hafnarfjordur, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Hafnarfjordur. 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.

Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Hafnarfjordur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.