Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kairouan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kairouan: $634 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kairouan
Learn more

Kairouan Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Kairouan

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kairouan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $634 in Kairouan.

Bucharest $1,340
Kairouan $634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $975 in Kairouan.

Bucharest $2,037
Kairouan $975

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,316 in Kairouan.

Bucharest $2,734
Kairouan $1,316

Living in Bucharest is roughly 112% more expensive than in Kairouan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Kairouan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$2.66 TND 7.96

444.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$15.64 TND 46.83

271.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$6.17 TND 18.49

21.23%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$0.96 TND 2.87

258.33%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.80 TND 2.39

196.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.40 TND 1.20

475.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.71 TND 5.11

116.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.64 TND 7.92

57.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.45 TND 1.36

271.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.07 TND 0.22

1857.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.75 TND 5.25

-1.71%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.49 TND 4.45

144.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$10.01 TND 29.97

-9.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.42 TND 16.22

26.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$11.92 TND 35.70

0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.19 TND 6.57

-43.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.28 TND 6.82

-28.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.13 TND 3.38

38.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.77 TND 2.30

229.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.65 TND 1.94

21.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.62 TND 1.86

24.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.53 TND 1.57

64.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.26 TND 0.78

280.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$3.34 TND 10.00

88.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.85 TND 20.52

-9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.28 TND 3.84

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.55 TND 4.63

1.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.32 TND 0.95

168.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$9.94 TND 29.77

112.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.29 TND 0.86

120.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.34 TND 1.00

76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$1.76 TND 5.27

265.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$0.80 TND 2.39

145.00%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$39.1K TND 117.1K

-25.83%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$36.1K TND 108.3K

-26.30%

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

$196 RON 927

$60.0 TND 180

226.65%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$9.27 TND 27.77

-13.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$20.01 TND 59.9

-53.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$23.03 TND 69.0

118.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$12.53 TND 37.53

102.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$4.59 TND 13.75

77.56%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$106 TND 317

493.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$3,221 TND 9,647

337.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$23.58 TND 70.6

280.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$61.1 TND 183

-37.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$46.83 TND 140

69.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$87.5 TND 262

3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$116 TND 347

486.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$155 TND 463

189.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$372 TND 1,115

190.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$271 TND 812

167.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$953 TND 2,855

293.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$609 TND 1,825

260.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$320 TND 959

314.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

10.28

-34.34%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Kairouan

$155 24.4% 65.5% $294

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kairouan

$70 11% 69% $155

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kairouan

$176 27.7% 21.9% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Kairouan

$89 14.1% 58.1% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Kairouan

$99 15.6% 26.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Kairouan

$32 5.1% 51.6% $34

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kairouan

$13 2.1% 53.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $116 in Kairouan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 315% 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 $16.00 in Kairouan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $176 per month, with Kairouan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇹🇳 Kairouan

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

139,070

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Kairouan 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kairouan

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 Kairouan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kairouan differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $634 including rent). Kairouan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 315% 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $116 in Kairouan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $634 in Kairouan – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kairouan runs roughly 112% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $634 in Kairouan versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kairouan but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Kairouan 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 Kairouan 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 Kairouan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.