Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Hyderabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Hyderabad: $480 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Hyderabad
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Hyderabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Hyderabad

🇮🇳 India

$480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Hyderabad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $480 in Hyderabad.

Bucharest $1,351
Hyderabad $480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $792 in Hyderabad.

Bucharest $2,033
Hyderabad $792

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $1,103 in Hyderabad.

Bucharest $2,715
Hyderabad $1,103

Living in Bucharest is roughly 181% more expensive than in Hyderabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Hyderabad is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$2.61 ₹253

454.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$15.35 ₹1,486

275.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$5.17 ₹500

45.07%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$2.31 ₹224

48.48%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.44 ₹43.03

459.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.16 ₹15.19

1356.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$2.02 ₹195

88.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$4.27 ₹413

-3.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$0.75 ₹72.2

120.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$0.57 ₹55.4

136.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$0.72 ₹69.6

147.22%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$0.93 ₹90.3

293.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$6.93 ₹671

23.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$3.42 ₹331

98.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$2.24 ₹216

-42.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$0.70 ₹68.0

122.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$1.11 ₹108

38.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$0.44 ₹42.52

463.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.38 ₹36.85

118.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$0.36 ₹34.76

122.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$0.49 ₹47.02

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.31 ₹30.33

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$5.10 ₹494

26.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$8.29 ₹802

-23.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.82 ₹176

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$2.58 ₹250

-37.98%

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

$6.20 ₹600

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.50 ₹48.19

62.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$15.14 ₹1,465

39.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.87 ₹83.9

-31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.55 ₹52.8

10.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$1.15 ₹112

436.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.16 ₹112

68.97%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$15.3K ₹1.5M

83.46%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

18.89%

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

$197 RON 931

$34.79 ₹3,367

465.82%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$4.14 ₹401

101.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$7.82 ₹757

17.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$23.68 ₹2,291

110.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$7.15 ₹692

249.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$3.03 ₹293

179.21%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$102 ₹9,880

526.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$2,755 ₹266.6K

422.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$22.06 ₹2,135

310.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$21.22 ₹2,053

79.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$41.71 ₹4,037

90.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$34.89 ₹3,376

167.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$227 ₹22.0K

195.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$128 ₹12.4K

250.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$618 ₹59.9K

77.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$327 ₹31.6K

122.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$1,377 ₹133.3K

171.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$764 ₹73.9K

186.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$1,220 ₹118.0K

8.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

8.46

-20.33%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Hyderabad: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Hyderabad

$128 26.6% 71.4% $321

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Hyderabad

$85 17.7% 62.2% $140

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Hyderabad

$118 24.5% 46.7% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Hyderabad

$47 9.7% 78.2% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Hyderabad

$54 11.2% 60.3% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Hyderabad

$30 6.2% 55.5% $37

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Hyderabad

$21 4.3% 26.2% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $227 in Hyderabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 8% 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 $15.00 in Hyderabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $118 per month, with Hyderabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Hyderabad

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

13:36 1:36 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

6,809,970

💱 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

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Between locations

Bucharest Hyderabad 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Hyderabad

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 Hyderabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Hyderabad differ by about 181% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $480 including rent). Hyderabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $227 in Hyderabad. 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 $480 in Hyderabad – a 181% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hyderabad runs roughly 40% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $480 in Hyderabad versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hyderabad but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Hyderabad 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 Hyderabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.