Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kalmar

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,907 in Kalmar, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
Learn more

Kalmar Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kalmar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,907 in Kalmar.

Bucharest $1,340
Kalmar $1,907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,844 in Kalmar.

Bucharest $2,037
Kalmar $2,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,781 in Kalmar.

Bucharest $2,734
Kalmar $3,781

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 30% less than in Kalmar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Kalmar is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$14.70 SEK 146

-1.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$71.0 SEK 704

-18.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$10.27 SEK 102

-27.17%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$4.65 SEK 46.09

-26.02%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.82 SEK 27.99

-15.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$2.59 SEK 25.71

-11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-61.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$7.03 SEK 69.7

-40.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.47 SEK 14.61

13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$3.01 SEK 29.83

-54.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.92 SEK 28.97

-41.10%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$4.59 SEK 45.43

-20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$16.24 SEK 161

-44.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$10.97 SEK 109

-37.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$21.76 SEK 216

-44.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.46 SEK 24.38

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.63 SEK 26.06

-38.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.40 SEK 33.69

-53.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$4.27 SEK 42.33

-40.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.63 SEK 16.12

-51.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$2.30 SEK 22.82

-66.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.84 SEK 18.19

-52.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$1.66 SEK 16.43

-40.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$7.97 SEK 79.0

-20.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$9.19 SEK 91.1

-32.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.96 SEK 19.44

-39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.51 SEK 24.87

-37.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$3.33 SEK 33.01

-74.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$76.6 SEK 759

-72.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$9.70 SEK 96.1

-93.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.66 SEK 16.40

-63.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$46.98 SEK 466

-86.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.70 SEK 16.81

15.29%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

-3.01%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

-7.18%

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

$196 RON 927

$142 SEK 1,403

38.36%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$26.84 SEK 266

-70.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$31.79 SEK 315

-70.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$30.76 SEK 305

63.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$26.42 SEK 262

-4.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$14.67 SEK 145

-44.44%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$138 SEK 1,367

355.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

186.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$50.5 SEK 501

77.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$42.32 SEK 419

-9.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$79.8 SEK 791

-0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$101 SEK 998

-10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$914 SEK 9,056

-25.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$751 SEK 7,440

-40.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

-16.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

-34.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

-7.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

-18.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

-53.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.93

71.76%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Kalmar

$751 39.4% 67.5% $303

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kalmar

$288 15.1% 28% $63

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kalmar

$377 19.8% 67.4% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Kalmar

$200 10.5% 6.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Kalmar

$123 6.5% 8.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Kalmar

$60 3.2% 9.6% $6.4

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kalmar

$108 5.7% 283% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $914 in Kalmar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kalmar pays 117% 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 $71.0 in Kalmar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $377 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

35,170

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Kalmar 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kalmar

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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kalmar differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,907 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 117% lower in Kalmar. 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $914 in Kalmar. 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 $1,907 in Kalmar – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 263% less than in Kalmar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,907 in Kalmar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Kalmar. 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 Kalmar 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 42% less than in Kalmar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.