Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kolkata (Calcutta)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $417 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Bucharest $1,351
Kolkata (Calcutta) $417

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $669 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Bucharest $2,033
Kolkata (Calcutta) $669

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $922 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Bucharest $2,715
Kolkata (Calcutta) $922

Living in Bucharest is roughly 224% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Kolkata (Calcutta) is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$2.04 ₹198

608.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$14.78 ₹1,430

290.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$4.26 ₹412

76.06%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$1.64 ₹159

109.15%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.48 ₹46.58

412.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.12 ₹11.89

1841.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$1.90 ₹184

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$3.13 ₹303

30.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$0.72 ₹69.3

129.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$0.46 ₹44.25

193.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$0.68 ₹65.5

161.76%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$1.03 ₹99.3

255.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$5.31 ₹514

61.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$3.04 ₹295

123.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$2.38 ₹230

-45.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$0.79 ₹76.7

97.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$1.39 ₹134

10.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$0.61 ₹59.2

306.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.30 ₹29.22

176.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$0.40 ₹38.88

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$0.35 ₹33.52

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.26 ₹24.88

257.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$4.92 ₹476

30.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$10.34 ₹1,001

-38.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.74 ₹168

-27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$2.70 ₹261

-40.74%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.34 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.14 ₹13.90

478.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$3.19 ₹309

562.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.76 ₹73.5

-21.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.32 ₹31.19

90.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$1.52 ₹147

305.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.08 ₹105

81.48%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$15.8K ₹1.5M

78.09%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$22.7K ₹2.2M

15.84%

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

$197 RON 931

$52.5 ₹5,076

275.31%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$5.10 ₹494

63.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$7.13 ₹690

28.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$15.73 ₹1,523

217.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$10.52 ₹1,018

137.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$3.33 ₹322

154.05%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$45.81 ₹4,433

1295.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$2,090 ₹202.2K

588.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$26.12 ₹2,528

246.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$25.89 ₹2,506

46.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$35.62 ₹3,448

123.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$27.81 ₹2,691

235.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$151 ₹14.6K

346.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$95.4 ₹9,229

370.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$399 ₹38.6K

175.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$204 ₹19.8K

256.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$1,119 ₹108.3K

234.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$590 ₹57.1K

270.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$382 ₹36.9K

246.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

9.04

-25.44%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$95 22.5% 78.8% $354

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.8% 70.3% $159

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$116 27.4% 47.7% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15.3% 69.8% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$52 12.3% 61.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.3% 66.5% $44

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.1 1.5% 78.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 247% 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 $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $116 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

4,486,679

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Kolkata (Calcutta) 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kolkata (Calcutta) differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $417 including rent). Kolkata (Calcutta) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 247% 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 224% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 562% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Kolkata (Calcutta) 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 Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.