Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Maiduguri

For one person, living is cheaper in Maiduguri: $172 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 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

$1,340

/mo nomad

Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Maiduguri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $172 in Maiduguri.

Bucharest $1,340
Maiduguri $172

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $288 in Maiduguri.

Bucharest $2,037
Maiduguri $288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $403 in Maiduguri.

Bucharest $2,734
Maiduguri $403

Living in Bucharest is roughly 679% more expensive than in Maiduguri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Maiduguri 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$0.55 ₦735

2534.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$1.90 ₦2,521

293.68%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$0.86 ₦1,138

300.00%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.25 ₦331

848.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.18 ₦240

1177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.03 ₦1,368

33.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.99 ₦2,643

-13.57%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.76 ₦2,341

106.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.15 ₦6,847

32.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$3.97 ₦5,286

202.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$4.06 ₦5,397

-69.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.02 ₦1,360

149.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.54 ₦2,045

-48.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.02 ₦1,355

-24.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.42 ₦554

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.31 ₦412

219.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.39 ₦525

120.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$0.25 ₦332

684.00%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

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

$196 RON 927

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$8.04 ₦10.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$8.05 ₦10.7K

214.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

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

$628 RON 2,971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$20.39 ₦27.1K

339.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$17.78 ₦23.6K

115.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$25.34 ₦33.7K

212.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$25.13 ₦33.4K

259.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Maiduguri: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Maiduguri

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Maiduguri

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Maiduguri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Maiduguri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Maiduguri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Maiduguri

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Maiduguri

–

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇳🇬 Maiduguri

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

23:38 11:38 PM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

1,197,497

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Bucharest Maiduguri 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Maiduguri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Maiduguri differ by about 679% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $172 including rent). Maiduguri is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,011 in Bucharest and $258 in Maiduguri to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $172 in Maiduguri – a 679% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $172 in Maiduguri versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maiduguri but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Maiduguri 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 Maiduguri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 679% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.