Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kumasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumasi: $493 a month against $1,371 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kumasi
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Kumasi Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Kumasi

🇬🇭 Ghana

$493

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kumasi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Bucharest versus $493 in Kumasi.

Bucharest $1,371
Kumasi $493

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Bucharest versus $813 in Kumasi.

Bucharest $2,067
Kumasi $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,764 in Bucharest versus $1,133 in Kumasi.

Bucharest $2,764
Kumasi $1,133

Living in Bucharest is roughly 178% more expensive than in Kumasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 RON 69.0

$3.46 GHS 40.18

319.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 RON 291

$34.16 GHS 397

79.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 RON 35.46

$10.35 GHS 120

-27.92%

Cappuccino

$3.64 RON 17.31

$1.09 GHS 12.67

233.94%

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

$2.62 RON 12.43

$0.67 GHS 7.77

291.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.23

$0.27 GHS 3.14

774.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 RON 17.98

$0.92 GHS 10.67

310.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 RON 19.52

$1.77 GHS 20.54

132.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.89

$1.80 GHS 20.95

-7.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$1.66 GHS 19.28

-15.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.53

$1.76 GHS 20.46

1.70%

Eggs

$3.63 RON 17.25

$2.31 GHS 26.89

57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 42.38

$5.54 GHS 64.5

61.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RON 32.62

$4.42 GHS 51.5

55.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 RON 57.0

$5.04 GHS 58.7

137.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.16

$1.70 GHS 19.75

-23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.76

$0.89 GHS 10.39

83.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.09

$0.83 GHS 9.70

79.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.08

$2.09 GHS 24.28

21.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.86

$1.68 GHS 19.55

-51.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$1.26 GHS 14.65

-36.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 4.07

$0.70 GHS 8.09

22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$0.61 GHS 7.14

54.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 31.38

$0.89 GHS 10.34

641.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 30.08

$1.27 GHS 14.82

398.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.64

$1.29 GHS 15.05

-7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.53

$2.41 GHS 28.03

-34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RON 4.64

$0.51 GHS 5.92

92.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 RON 99.4

$20.51 GHS 239

1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.84 GHS 9.80

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$1.26 GHS 14.60

-50.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.25

$1.70 GHS 19.78

274.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 RON 9.62

$1.11 GHS 12.93

81.98%

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

$28.2K RON 134.0K

$8,139 GHS 94.7K

246.51%

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

$26.3K RON 124.8K

$20.1K GHS 233.7K

30.74%

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

$196 RON 932

$43.10 GHS 501

355.17%

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

$8.60 RON 40.84

$19.06 GHS 222

-54.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 RON 43.69

$42.50 GHS 494

-78.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 RON 242

$29.57 GHS 344

72.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 RON 119

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 RON 39.27

$13.07 GHS 152

-36.80%

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

$681 RON 3,234

$465 GHS 5,411

46.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K RON 89.0K

$5,432 GHS 63.2K

244.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 RON 443

$14.56 GHS 169

540.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 RON 189

$18.96 GHS 221

110.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 RON 381

$37.14 GHS 432

115.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 431

$52.5 GHS 611

72.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 RON 3,473

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,232

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 RON 5,276

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 RON 3,431

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 RON 17.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 RON 10.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 RON 6,487

$408 GHS 4,741

234.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

26.75

-74.77%

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

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kumasi: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$470 34.3%

Kumasi

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Bucharest

$229 16.7%

Kumasi

$84 17% 63.5% $146

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.4%

Kumasi

$164 33.2% 27.1% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 15.6%

Kumasi

$105 21.2% 51.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$137 10%

Kumasi

$55 11.2% 59.5% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$68 4.9%

Kumasi

$56 11.3% 17.5% $12

Getting Around

Bucharest

$29 2.1%

Kumasi

$30 6% 4.1% $1.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Bucharest pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Bucharest vs $34 in Kumasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $164 per month, with Kumasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇬🇭 Kumasi

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

01:23 1:23 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

1,517,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.33 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.06 GHS (100 GHS = 7.66 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Kumasi 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kumasi

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 Kumasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,371 in Bucharest and $493 in Kumasi, so Kumasi is about 64% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Bucharest is about 3.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,371 per month in Bucharest versus $493 in Kumasi – Kumasi is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $493 in Kumasi versus $1,371 in Bucharest, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kumasi but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Kumasi 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kumasi wins on affordability, Bucharest on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.