Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Makurdi

For one person, living is cheaper in Makurdi: $12.58 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

Makurdi

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$12.58

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Makurdi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $12.58 in Makurdi.

Bucharest $1,340
Makurdi $12.58

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $17.79 in Makurdi.

Bucharest $2,037
Makurdi $17.79

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $22.99 in Makurdi.

Bucharest $2,734
Makurdi $22.99

Living in Bucharest is roughly 10556% more expensive than in Makurdi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Makurdi 99% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$0.40 ₦526

3522.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$1.91 ₦2,543

291.62%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.09 ₦119

2533.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.08 ₦105

2775.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$0.36 ₦472

927.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$0.62 ₦819

570.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

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

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

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

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

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

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 Makurdi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Makurdi

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Makurdi

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Makurdi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Makurdi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Makurdi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Makurdi

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Makurdi

–

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇳🇬 Makurdi

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

20:22 8:22 PM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

500,797

💱 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 = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Bucharest Makurdi 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Makurdi

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 Makurdi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Makurdi differ by about 10556% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $12.58 including rent). Makurdi 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 $18.87 in Makurdi 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.

At $12.58 in Makurdi versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makurdi but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Makurdi 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 Makurdi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10556% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.