Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Mbabane

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbabane: $747 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Mbabane
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Mbabane Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Mbabane

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Mbabane

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $747 in Mbabane.

Bucharest $1,351
Mbabane $747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $1,223 in Mbabane.

Bucharest $2,033
Mbabane $1,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $1,700 in Mbabane.

Bucharest $2,715
Mbabane $1,700

Living in Bucharest is roughly 81% more expensive than in Mbabane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Mbabane is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$10.27 SZL 169

40.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$34.04 SZL 561

69.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$5.74 SZL 94.6

30.66%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$2.62 SZL 43.16

30.92%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$1.12 SZL 18.41

119.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.62 SZL 10.21

275.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$2.16 SZL 35.58

75.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$2.45 SZL 40.46

67.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.53 SZL 25.29

7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$0.81 SZL 13.34

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$1.75 SZL 28.82

1.71%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$1.78 SZL 29.32

105.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$11.01 SZL 181

-22.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$5.60 SZL 92.3

21.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$4.98 SZL 82.0

135.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$1.74 SZL 28.72

-25.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$0.63 SZL 10.38

147.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$1.25 SZL 20.56

23.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$1.41 SZL 23.18

75.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$1.25 SZL 20.57

-33.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.49 SZL 24.48

-46.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$0.71 SZL 11.74

18.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.76 SZL 12.56

22.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$2.85 SZL 46.91

125.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$5.93 SZL 97.8

6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.52 SZL 25.10

-17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.67 SZL 27.59

-4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.74 SZL 12.18

9.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$1.38 SZL 22.80

-55.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$3.03 SZL 50.0

103.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.27 SZL 20.98

54.33%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

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

$197 RON 931

$64.0 SZL 1,056

207.39%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$38.40 SZL 633

-78.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$26.97 SZL 445

-65.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$22.61 SZL 373

120.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$3.04 SZL 50.1

722.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$3.65 SZL 60.1

131.78%

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$6,330 SZL 104.3K

127.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$35.21 SZL 580

157.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$14.80 SZL 244

157.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$69.1 SZL 1,139

15.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$53.2 SZL 877

75.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$267 SZL 4,406

151.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$179 SZL 2,950

150.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$445 SZL 7,332

146.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$347 SZL 5,720

110.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$473 SZL 7,794

690.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$359 SZL 5,915

509.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

7.25

-7.03%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mbabane: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Mbabane

$179 23.6% 60.1% $270

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Mbabane

$153 20.2% 32% $72

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Mbabane

$180 23.7% 19% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Mbabane

$129 17.1% 39.6% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Mbabane

$78 10.2% 42.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Mbabane

$30 3.9% 55.2% $37

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Mbabane

$9.9 * 1.3% 64.8% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $267 in Mbabane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $34.00 in Mbabane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $180 per month, with Mbabane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇿 Mbabane

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

94,874 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, 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).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Mbabane 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Mbabane

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 Mbabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Mbabane differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $747 including rent). Mbabane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,027 in Bucharest and $1,121 in Mbabane 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Bucharest versus $267 in Mbabane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mbabane – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $58.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $747 in Mbabane – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $747 in Mbabane versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mbabane but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Mbabane 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 Mbabane 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 Mbabane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.