Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kongsvinger

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $2,649 in Kongsvinger, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Kongsvinger
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Kongsvinger Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Kongsvinger

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,649

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kongsvinger

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $2,649 in Kongsvinger.

Bucharest $1,337
Kongsvinger $2,649

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $4,023 in Kongsvinger.

Bucharest $2,029
Kongsvinger $4,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $5,397 in Kongsvinger.

Bucharest $2,721
Kongsvinger $5,397

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 50% less than in Kongsvinger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Kongsvinger is 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$20.71 NOK 195

-30.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$105 NOK 985

-44.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$15.65 NOK 147

-51.88%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$5.31 NOK 50.0

-35.03%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$4.17 NOK 39.27

-41.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$3.07 NOK 28.86

-27.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$11.59 NOK 109

-67.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$10.49 NOK 98.8

-60.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$3.97 NOK 37.35

-59.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$3.55 NOK 33.43

-63.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$3.79 NOK 35.65

-55.15%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$4.70 NOK 44.26

-19.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$13.40 NOK 126

-33.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$15.23 NOK 143

-54.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$31.25 NOK 294

-61.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$3.39 NOK 31.89

-61.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$2.56 NOK 24.14

-37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$3.40 NOK 32.00

-53.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$4.90 NOK 46.12

-45.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$2.97 NOK 27.92

-72.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$2.82 NOK 26.51

-71.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$3.00 NOK 28.25

-69.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$2.37 NOK 22.30

-59.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$17.14 NOK 161

-62.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$16.25 NOK 153

-61.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$3.45 NOK 32.50

-64.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$4.31 NOK 40.62

-61.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$4.48 NOK 42.21

-80.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$84.5 NOK 796

-75.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$12.11 NOK 114

-94.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$1.87 NOK 17.63

-67.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$68.6 NOK 645

-90.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$2.32 NOK 21.84

-16.81%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$48.9K NOK 460.5K

-41.27%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$43.4K NOK 408.8K

-39.37%

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

$196 RON 926

$267 NOK 2,516

-26.82%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$33.78 NOK 318

-74.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$54.1 NOK 509

-83.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$50.5 NOK 475

-1.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$36.17 NOK 341

-30.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$16.89 NOK 159

-51.21%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$235 NOK 2,208

170.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$12.7K NOK 119.6K

14.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$99.0 NOK 932

-10.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$54.9 NOK 517

-29.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$125 NOK 1,173

-36.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$156 NOK 1,464

-41.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$1,200 NOK 11.3K

-42.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$1,003 NOK 9,440

-55.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$1,957 NOK 18.4K

-44.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$1,667 NOK 15.7K

-57.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$6,213 NOK 58.5K

-38.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$4,022 NOK 37.9K

-45.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.94

36.64%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kongsvinger: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Kongsvinger

$1K 37.9% 125% $557

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Kongsvinger

$384 14.5% 70.4% $159

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Kongsvinger

$503 19% 123% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Kongsvinger

$355 13.4% 66.6% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Kongsvinger

$195 7.4% 46.3% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Kongsvinger

$84 3.2% 27.6% $18

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kongsvinger

$124 4.7% 341% $96

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $1,200 in Kongsvinger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $105 in Kongsvinger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $503 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇳🇴 Kongsvinger

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

02:45 2:45 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

18,104

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Kongsvinger 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kongsvinger

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 Kongsvinger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kongsvinger differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $2,649 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,006 in Bucharest and $3,973 in Kongsvinger 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Bucharest versus $1,200 in Kongsvinger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $2,649 in Kongsvinger – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 303% less than in Kongsvinger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $2,649 in Kongsvinger, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Kongsvinger. 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 Kongsvinger 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 98% less than in Kongsvinger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.