Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kalutara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalutara: $608 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Kalutara
Learn more

Kalutara Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Kalutara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kalutara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $608 in Kalutara.

Bucharest $1,340
Kalutara $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $888 in Kalutara.

Bucharest $2,037
Kalutara $888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,169 in Kalutara.

Bucharest $2,734
Kalutara $1,169

Living in Bucharest is roughly 121% more expensive than in Kalutara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Kalutara 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$3.90 LKR 1,292

271.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$25.14 LKR 8,326

131.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$7.49 LKR 2,481

-0.13%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.48 LKR 821

38.71%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.73 LKR 241

224.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.27 LKR 89.5

751.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.15 LKR 713

72.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.06 LKR 1,014

35.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.64 LKR 543

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.53 LKR 176

158.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.75 LKR 249

129.33%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.71 LKR 568

112.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$13.49 LKR 4,469

-32.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$4.91 LKR 1,625

39.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$7.42 LKR 2,457

61.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$6.49 LKR 2,149

-81.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$0.81 LKR 268

101.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$4.27 LKR 1,413

-63.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.26 LKR 418

101.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.99 LKR 328

-20.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.81 LKR 269

-4.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.87 LKR 289

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.43 LKR 142

130.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$10.32 LKR 3,418

-38.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$13.02 LKR 4,312

-52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.90 LKR 629

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.02 LKR 999

-48.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.12 LKR 39.13

616.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$9.29 LKR 3,077

127.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.38 LKR 125

68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.18 LKR 59.8

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$0.93 LKR 307

591.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.38 LKR 456

42.03%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$37.3K LKR 12.4M

-22.36%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-34.82%

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

$196 RON 927

$58.9 LKR 19.5K

232.69%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$4.27 LKR 1,413

88.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$20.99 LKR 6,953

-55.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$8.89 LKR 2,944

465.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$4.56 LKR 1,511

78.73%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$38.39 LKR 12.7K

1535.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$1,205 LKR 399.0K

1069.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$18.10 LKR 5,995

395.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$16.86 LKR 5,584

127.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$79.7 LKR 26.4K

-0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$41.88 LKR 13.9K

115.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$85.7 LKR 28.4K

423.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

12.69

-46.81%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Kalutara

$86 14.1% 80.9% $363

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kalutara

$104 17.2% 53.7% $121

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kalutara

$234 38.5% 4.1% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Kalutara

$84 13.8% 60.5% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Kalutara

$70 11.6% 47.4% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Kalutara

$18 3% 72.9% $49

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kalutara

$11 1.8% 60.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $25.00 in Kalutara. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $234, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇱🇰 Kalutara

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

09:36 9:36 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

39,600

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, 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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Kalutara 6,680 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kalutara

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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kalutara differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $608 including rent). Kalutara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,011 in Bucharest and $912 in Kalutara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $608 in Kalutara – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kalutara runs roughly 127% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $608 in Kalutara versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara 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 Kalutara 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 Kalutara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.