Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Ludhiana

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludhiana: $473 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Ludhiana
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Ludhiana Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Ludhiana

🇮🇳 India

$473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Ludhiana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $473 in Ludhiana.

Bucharest $1,340
Ludhiana $473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $814 in Ludhiana.

Bucharest $2,037
Ludhiana $814

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,156 in Ludhiana.

Bucharest $2,734
Ludhiana $1,156

Living in Bucharest is roughly 183% more expensive than in Ludhiana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Ludhiana 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$3.33 ₹316

335.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$10.62 ₹1,009

446.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$3.61 ₹343

107.20%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.99 ₹189

72.86%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.40 ₹38.42

492.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.23 ₹21.69

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.69 ₹161

118.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.56 ₹338

16.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.74 ₹69.8

125.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.51 ₹48.89

168.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.84 ₹79.5

104.76%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$0.83 ₹78.4

338.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$3.80 ₹361

138.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$3.07 ₹291

122.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.02 ₹192

-39.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$0.63 ₹59.4

158.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.80 ₹75.8

96.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.38 ₹36.45

568.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.28 ₹26.63

182.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.29 ₹27.14

165.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.43 ₹41.27

102.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.33 ₹31.15

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$3.48 ₹331

81.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$12.47 ₹1,184

-50.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.78 ₹169

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.10 ₹294

-49.35%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$8.04 ₹764

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.54 ₹51.3

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$15.43 ₹1,466

36.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.59 ₹151

-59.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.41 ₹38.64

46.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$2.06 ₹196

212.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.10 ₹104

78.18%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$16.9K ₹1.6M

72.07%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$22.3K ₹2.1M

19.60%

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

$196 RON 927

$53.1 ₹5,040

269.05%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$3.05 ₹290

163.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$5.73 ₹545

63.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$15.19 ₹1,442

230.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$4.66 ₹443

443.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$3.69 ₹351

120.87%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$71.8 ₹6,814

775.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$1,428 ₹135.6K

886.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$21.52 ₹2,044

316.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$39.84 ₹3,783

-3.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$69.1 ₹6,566

14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$36.19 ₹3,437

149.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$172 ₹16.4K

293.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$101 ₹9,603

343.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$419 ₹39.8K

158.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$388 ₹36.8K

86.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$599 ₹56.9K

526.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$489 ₹46.4K

349.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$424 ₹40.3K

213.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

9.17

-26.39%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ludhiana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Ludhiana

$101 21.4% 77.4% $347

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Ludhiana

$79 16.8% 64.7% $146

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Ludhiana

$112 23.7% 50.2% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Ludhiana

$62 13.1% 71% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Ludhiana

$75 15.9% 44% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Ludhiana

$23 4.8% 66.1% $44

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Ludhiana

$21 4.5% 24.8% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $172 in Ludhiana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 213% 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 $11.00 in Ludhiana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $112 per month, with Ludhiana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Ludhiana

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

2,232,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Ludhiana 4,550 km ≈ 6 h 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 Ludhiana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Ludhiana differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $473 including rent). Ludhiana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 213% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $172 in Ludhiana. 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 $473 in Ludhiana – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ludhiana runs roughly 37% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $473 in Ludhiana versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ludhiana but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Ludhiana 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.

Expats usually find Ludhiana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.