Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $563 a month against $1,371 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Lome

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Bucharest versus $563 in Lome.

Bucharest $1,371
Lome $563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Bucharest versus $996 in Lome.

Bucharest $2,067
Lome $996

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,764 in Bucharest versus $1,430 in Lome.

Bucharest $2,764
Lome $1,430

Living in Bucharest is roughly 143% more expensive than in Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 RON 69.0

$3.00 F CFA 1,750

383.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 RON 291

$30.83 F CFA 18.0K

98.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 RON 35.50

$5.51 F CFA 3,215

35.39%

Cappuccino

$3.64 RON 17.33

$5.70 F CFA 3,327

-36.14%

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

$2.62 RON 12.44

$4.15 F CFA 2,426

-36.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.24

$0.75 F CFA 438

214.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 RON 18.00

$0.98 F CFA 570

285.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 RON 19.54

$1.68 F CFA 979

144.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.90

$2.21 F CFA 1,290

-24.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$1.34 F CFA 785

4.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.54

$1.42 F CFA 829

26.06%

Eggs

$3.63 RON 17.27

$2.04 F CFA 1,192

77.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 42.43

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RON 32.65

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 RON 57.0

$5.46 F CFA 3,188

119.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$2.92 F CFA 1,703

-55.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.77

$1.66 F CFA 971

-1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.10

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.09

$2.63 F CFA 1,535

-3.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.86

$1.75 F CFA 1,021

-53.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.21 F CFA 704

-33.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 4.07

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$0.82 F CFA 478

14.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 31.42

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 30.11

$4.82 F CFA 2,816

31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.64

$1.15 F CFA 672

3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.54

$1.44 F CFA 841

9.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RON 4.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 RON 99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$1.16 F CFA 675

-46.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.28

$4.30 F CFA 2,514

48.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 RON 9.63

$1.19 F CFA 697

69.75%

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

$28.2K RON 134.1K

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

$26.3K RON 125.0K

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

$196 RON 933

$148 F CFA 86.6K

32.35%

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

$8.60 RON 40.89

$21.34 F CFA 12.5K

-59.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 RON 43.74

$42.99 F CFA 25.1K

-78.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 RON 243

$60.2 F CFA 35.1K

-15.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 RON 119

$8.75 F CFA 5,111

186.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 RON 39.31

$4.32 F CFA 2,524

91.20%

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

$681 RON 3,237

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K RON 89.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 RON 444

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 RON 190

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 RON 381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 431

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 RON 3,477

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,234

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 RON 5,282

$1,172 F CFA 684.3K

-5.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 RON 3,435

$297 F CFA 173.3K

143.32%

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 6,494

$294 F CFA 171.9K

363.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lome: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$470 34.3%

Lome

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$229 16.7%

Lome

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.4%

Lome

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 15.6%

Lome

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$137 10%

Lome

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$68 4.9%

Lome

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$29 2.1%

Lome

–

Cost Breakdown

Bucharest pays about 4.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Bucharest vs $31 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $139 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

01:59 1:59 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 584 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Lome 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,371 in Bucharest and $563 in Lome, so Lome is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Bucharest is about 4.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Lome – a meal for two runs $31 versus $61 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,371 per month in Bucharest versus $563 in Lome – Lome is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $563 in Lome versus $1,371 in Bucharest, a $800 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Lome 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 – Lome wins on affordability, Bucharest on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.