Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Lund

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $1,777 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Lund
Learn more

Lund Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Lund

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,777 in Lund.

Bucharest $1,351
Lund $1,777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $2,922 in Lund.

Bucharest $2,033
Lund $2,922

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $4,067 in Lund.

Bucharest $2,715
Lund $4,067

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 24% less than in Lund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 1% above, Lund 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$12.72 SEK 127

13.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$91.0 SEK 909

-36.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$11.72 SEK 117

-36.01%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$4.60 SEK 46.01

-25.43%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$2.79 SEK 27.88

-11.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$2.07 SEK 20.65

12.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$8.18 SEK 81.7

-53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$6.79 SEK 67.9

-39.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.63 SEK 16.28

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$2.55 SEK 25.47

-47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$3.38 SEK 33.74

-47.34%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$4.57 SEK 45.63

-19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$12.53 SEK 125

-31.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$11.84 SEK 118

-42.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$15.33 SEK 153

-23.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$3.06 SEK 30.63

-57.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$2.58 SEK 25.82

-39.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$2.83 SEK 28.26

-45.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$4.68 SEK 46.78

-47.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$1.70 SEK 16.98

-51.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.43 SEK 14.25

-44.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$2.55 SEK 25.50

-67.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$1.52 SEK 15.20

-38.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$8.10 SEK 81.0

-20.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$11.15 SEK 111

-43.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.85 SEK 18.50

-31.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$2.73 SEK 27.27

-41.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$3.28 SEK 32.79

-75.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$63.3 SEK 632

-66.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$5.08 SEK 50.7

-88.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$1.10 SEK 11.02

-44.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$41.40 SEK 414

-85.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.80 SEK 17.97

8.89%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$33.1K SEK 331.0K

-15.02%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$32.8K SEK 328.1K

-19.92%

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

$197 RON 931

$76.4 SEK 764

157.62%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$28.05 SEK 280

-70.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$41.33 SEK 413

-77.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$38.07 SEK 381

31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$27.39 SEK 274

-8.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$15.11 SEK 151

-44.01%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$157 SEK 1,571

306.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$78.5 SEK 785

15.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$56.6 SEK 566

-32.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$97.7 SEK 976

-18.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$121 SEK 1,213

-23.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$826 SEK 8,255

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$672 SEK 6,716

-33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$1,697 SEK 17.0K

-35.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$1,365 SEK 13.6K

-46.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$6,116 SEK 61.1K

-38.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$3,597 SEK 35.9K

-39.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$2,871 SEK 28.7K

-53.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

3.03

122.44%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lund: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Lund

$672 38.3% 49.7% $223

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Lund

$266 15.2% 17.9% $40

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Lund

$355 20.3% 60.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Lund

$146 8.3% 32% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Lund

$159 9.1% 17.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Lund

$68 3.9% 2.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Lund

$87 5% 210% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $826 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 117% 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 $91.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $355 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇪 Lund

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

82,800

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Lund 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Lund

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 Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Lund differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $1,777 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 117% lower in Lund. 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $826 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $1,777 in Lund – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 199% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,777 in Lund, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Lund. 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 Lund 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 32% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.