Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kriens

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $3,185 in Kriens, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Kriens
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Kriens Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Kriens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kriens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $3,185 in Kriens.

Bucharest $1,340
Kriens $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $4,881 in Kriens.

Bucharest $2,037
Kriens $4,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $6,576 in Kriens.

Bucharest $2,734
Kriens $6,576

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 58% less than in Kriens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Kriens is 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$29.12 CHF 23.98

-50.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$105 CHF 86.3

-44.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$18.26 CHF 15.04

-59.04%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$5.94 CHF 4.89

-42.09%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$5.05 CHF 4.16

-53.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$4.91 CHF 4.05

-53.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$5.96 CHF 4.91

-37.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$6.77 CHF 5.58

-38.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-18.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$3.63 CHF 2.99

-62.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.60 CHF 2.14

-33.85%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$7.59 CHF 6.25

-52.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$27.12 CHF 22.34

-66.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$31.41 CHF 25.87

-78.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$40.84 CHF 33.64

-70.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.87 CHF 2.37

-57.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.80 CHF 1.48

-9.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.35 CHF 1.94

-33.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-53.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.65 CHF 1.36

-52.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$2.02 CHF 1.66

-61.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$2.29 CHF 1.88

-62.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$1.37 CHF 1.13

-27.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$10.92 CHF 9.00

-42.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$10.38 CHF 8.55

-40.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$2.51 CHF 2.07

-52.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.81 CHF 2.31

-44.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$4.63 CHF 3.81

-81.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$99.9 CHF 82.2

-78.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$6.91 CHF 5.69

-90.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$5.88 CHF 4.85

-89.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$36.61 CHF 30.15

-82.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-12.11%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$42.8K CHF 35.3K

-32.32%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-32.68%

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

$196 RON 927

$119 CHF 98.1

64.39%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$37.75 CHF 31.09

-78.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$55.4 CHF 45.65

-83.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$90.7 CHF 74.7

-44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$44.27 CHF 36.46

-42.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$22.03 CHF 18.15

-63.00%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$3,113 CHF 2,564

-79.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$35.7K CHF 29.4K

-60.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$90.8 CHF 74.8

-1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$68.0 CHF 56.0

-43.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$110 CHF 90.5

-27.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$169 CHF 139

-46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$1,709 CHF 1,408

-60.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$1,450 CHF 1,194

-69.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$2,788 CHF 2,296

-61.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$2,421 CHF 1,994

-70.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$16.0K CHF 13.2K

-76.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$11.9K CHF 9,776

-81.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

1.9

255.26%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kriens: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Kriens

$1.4K 45.5% 223% $1K

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kriens

$442 13.9% 96.4% $217

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kriens

$594 18.7% 164% $369

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Kriens

$212 6.7% 0.4% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Kriens

$197 6.2% 47.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Kriens

$135 4.2% 103% $68

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kriens

$155 4.9% 448% $126

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $1,709 in Kriens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $105 in Kriens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $594 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇭 Kriens

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

16:38 4:38 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

25,932

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Kriens 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
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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 Kriens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kriens differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $3,185 including rent). Bucharest 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 $4,777 in Kriens 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $1,709 in Kriens. 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 $3,185 in Kriens – a 138% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 373% less than in Kriens. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $3,185 in Kriens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Kriens. 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 Kriens 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 138% less than in Kriens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.