Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Lidingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,837 in Lidingo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Lidingo
Learn more

Lidingo Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Lidingo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Lidingo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,837 in Lidingo.

Bucharest $1,340
Lidingo $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,809 in Lidingo.

Bucharest $2,037
Lidingo $2,809

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,780 in Lidingo.

Bucharest $2,734
Lidingo $3,780

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 27% less than in Lidingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Lidingo is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$13.96 SEK 138

3.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$71.0 SEK 703

-18.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$11.31 SEK 112

-33.86%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.93 SEK 28.99

17.41%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.23 SEK 22.11

6.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$2.55 SEK 25.25

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$6.45 SEK 63.9

-42.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$5.46 SEK 54.1

-23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.41 SEK 13.96

18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$3.01 SEK 29.84

-54.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$3.52 SEK 34.87

-51.14%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.99 SEK 39.58

-8.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$12.06 SEK 119

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$12.87 SEK 128

-46.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$22.26 SEK 221

-46.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$3.15 SEK 31.25

-60.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.46 SEK 24.33

-33.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.62 SEK 35.89

-56.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$4.48 SEK 44.43

-43.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$2.00 SEK 19.82

-60.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.84 SEK 18.22

-58.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$2.12 SEK 21.01

-58.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$1.50 SEK 14.89

-34.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$7.67 SEK 76.0

-17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$13.48 SEK 134

-54.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.36 SEK 13.44

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.18 SEK 21.62

-27.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$3.23 SEK 31.98

-73.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$76.5 SEK 758

-72.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$3.42 SEK 33.88

-81.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$2.47 SEK 24.51

-75.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$78.3 SEK 776

-91.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.72 SEK 17.06

13.95%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$32.4K SEK 321.3K

-10.58%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$33.3K SEK 330.0K

-20.02%

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

$196 RON 927

$183 SEK 1,817

6.85%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$22.03 SEK 218

-63.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$43.11 SEK 427

-78.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$37.31 SEK 370

34.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$26.15 SEK 259

-3.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$16.26 SEK 161

-49.88%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$151 SEK 1,499

314.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$4,992 SEK 49.5K

182.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$103 SEK 1,016

-12.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$39.95 SEK 396

-4.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$87.4 SEK 866

-9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$136 SEK 1,347

-33.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$805 SEK 7,980

-15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$623 SEK 6,174

-28.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,320 SEK 13.1K

-17.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$1,033 SEK 10.2K

-29.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$3,954 SEK 39.2K

-5.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,818 SEK 27.9K

-22.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$2,491 SEK 24.7K

-46.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.53

91.22%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lidingo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Lidingo

$623 33.9% 39% $175

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Lidingo

$243 13.2% 7.9% $18

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Lidingo

$383 20.9% 70.3% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Lidingo

$248 13.5% 16.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Lidingo

$165 9% 22.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Lidingo

$70 3.8% 4.9% $3.3

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Lidingo

$105 5.7% 273% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $805 in Lidingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lidingo pays 87% 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 $71.0 in Lidingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $383 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇪 Lidingo

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

11:25 11:25 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

48,541

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Lidingo 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Lidingo

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 Lidingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Lidingo differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,837 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Lidingo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $805 in Lidingo. 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 $1,837 in Lidingo – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 262% less than in Lidingo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,837 in Lidingo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Lidingo. 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 Lidingo 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 37% less than in Lidingo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.