Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Juba

For one person, living is cheaper in Juba: $236 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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

$1,351

/mo nomad

Juba

🇸🇸 South Sudan

$236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Juba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $236 in Juba.

Bucharest $1,351
Juba $236

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $366 in Juba.

Bucharest $2,033
Juba $366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $496 in Juba.

Bucharest $2,715
Juba $496

Living in Bucharest is roughly 473% more expensive than in Juba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Juba is 82% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$19.91 SSP 112.9K

-27.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$9.55 SSP 54.2K

-21.47%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$3.44 SSP 19.5K

-0.29%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$1.52 SSP 8,639

61.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

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

$197 RON 931

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$1,796 SSP 10.2M

-26.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

-43.83%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Juba: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Juba

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Juba

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Juba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Juba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Juba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Juba

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Juba

–

Cost Breakdown

Juba pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇸 Juba

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

372,410 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

South Sudanese Pound SSP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

10,000 SSP = 1.76 USD

10,000 SSP = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SSP, 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).

South Sudanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,670 SSP (10,000 SSP = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,360 SSP (10,000 SSP = 1.57 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Juba 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Juba

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 Juba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Juba differ by about 473% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $236 including rent). Juba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Juba. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

At $236 in Juba versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Juba but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Juba 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 Juba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 473% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.