Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kaštela

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,423 in Kaštela, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Kaštela despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Kaštela
Learn more

Kaštela Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Kaštela

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kaštela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,423 in Kaštela.

Bucharest $1,340
Kaštela $1,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,212 in Kaštela.

Bucharest $2,037
Kaštela $2,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,001 in Kaštela.

Bucharest $2,734
Kaštela $3,001

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 6% less than in Kaštela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Kaštela is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.9

$16.95 €15.11

-14.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 276

$76.9 €68.5

-24.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.60

$9.11 €8.12

-17.89%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.38

$2.82 €2.51

21.99%

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

$2.37 RON 11.28

$3.94 €3.52

-39.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.94

$2.82 €2.51

-18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.60

$4.67 €4.17

-20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.80

$4.83 €4.30

-13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.94

$1.30 €1.16

28.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.53

$1.64 €1.46

-16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.18

$3.11 €2.77

-44.69%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.31

$4.03 €3.59

-9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 43.21

$14.01 €12.49

-35.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.52

$9.21 €8.22

-25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 57.1

$12.07 €10.77

-0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.89 €1.69

-34.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.77

$1.64 €1.46

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.49

$2.07 €1.84

-24.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.08

$2.79 €2.49

-8.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.77

$2.03 €1.81

-61.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.68

$2.06 €1.83

-62.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.15

$1.32 €1.17

-34.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.73

$1.36 €1.21

-27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 30.02

$5.76 €5.13

9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.51

$7.95 €7.09

-22.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.66

$1.41 €1.26

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.49

$1.42 €1.27

10.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.10

$2.29 €2.04

-62.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 100

$51.8 €46.16

-59.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.06

$3.67 €3.27

-82.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.87

$2.04 €1.82

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.60

$29.38 €26.19

-78.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.31

$1.86 €1.66

5.38%

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

$29.0K RON 138.0K

$26.2K €23.3K

10.79%

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

$26.6K RON 126.7K

$25.0K €22.3K

6.68%

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

$196 RON 932

$182 €162

7.53%

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

$8.04 RON 38.25

$25.30 €22.56

-68.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.46

$41.81 €37.28

-77.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 239

$56.9 €50.7

-11.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 121

$13.83 €12.33

83.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.76

$8.73 €7.78

-6.64%

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

$628 RON 2,988

$423 €377

48.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 67.0K

$6,737 €6,006

109.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 426

$93.0 €82.9

-3.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 182

$27.57 €24.58

38.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 377

$104 €92.7

-23.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 430

$97.8 €87.2

-7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,227

$480 €428

41.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,133

$341 €304

31.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,153

$586 €523

84.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,449

$533 €475

36.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.8K

$3,241 €2,889

15.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,381 €2,123

-7.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,324

$870 €776

52.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.72

81.45%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kaštela: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Kaštela

$341 24% 23.9% $107

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kaštela

$257 18.1% 14% $32

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kaštela

$281 19.8% 25% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Kaštela

$249 17.5% 16.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Kaštela

$145 10.2% 8.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Kaštela

$74 5.2% 11.7% $7.8

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kaštela

$75 5.3% 165% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $480 in Kaštela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $77.0 in Kaštela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $281 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇭🇷 Kaštela

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

14:56 2:56 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

37,794

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Bucharest Kaštela 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kaštela

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 Kaštela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kaštela differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,423 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% 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 $480 in Kaštela. 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 $1,423 in Kaštela – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 145% less than in Kaštela. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,423 in Kaštela, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Kaštela. 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 Kaštela 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 6% less than in Kaštela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.