Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $3,372 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
163

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Meilen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $3,372 in Meilen.

Bucharest $1,340
Meilen $3,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $5,942 in Meilen.

Bucharest $2,037
Meilen $5,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $8,512 in Meilen.

Bucharest $2,734
Meilen $8,512

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 60% less than in Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Meilen is 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$32.47 CHF 26.74

-55.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$122 CHF 101

-52.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$16.33 CHF 13.45

-54.19%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$6.31 CHF 5.19

-45.48%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$5.68 CHF 4.67

-58.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$5.01 CHF 4.13

-54.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$8.46 CHF 6.97

-56.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$8.29 CHF 6.83

-49.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-24.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$3.27 CHF 2.69

-58.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-54.50%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$7.49 CHF 6.17

-51.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$26.56 CHF 21.87

-65.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$25.69 CHF 21.16

-73.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$40.25 CHF 33.15

-70.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$3.42 CHF 2.82

-64.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.03 CHF 1.67

-19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.67 CHF 2.20

-41.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-44.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-59.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-64.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$1.25 CHF 1.03

-20.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$11.03 CHF 9.09

-42.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$13.25 CHF 10.91

-53.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-47.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.23 CHF 2.66

-51.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-81.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$96.8 CHF 79.7

-78.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$7.55 CHF 6.21

-91.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-86.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$88.0 CHF 72.5

-92.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-13.27%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

-25.02%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-32.42%

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

$196 RON 927

$235 CHF 194

-16.77%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$36.06 CHF 29.70

-77.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$65.3 CHF 53.8

-85.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$88.1 CHF 72.6

-43.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$44.50 CHF 36.65

-43.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$21.90 CHF 18.04

-62.79%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$2,816 CHF 2,319

-77.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

-66.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$137 CHF 113

-34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$59.2 CHF 48.77

-35.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$144 CHF 118

-44.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$174 CHF 143

-47.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$1,690 CHF 1,392

-59.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$1,471 CHF 1,211

-69.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$2,831 CHF 2,332

-61.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$4,065 CHF 3,348

-82.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$15.8K CHF 13.0K

-76.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$11.9K CHF 9,812

-81.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$8,259 CHF 6,802

-83.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

1.72

292.44%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.6% 228% $1K

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Meilen

$486 14.4% 116% $261

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Meilen

$570 16.9% 153% $345

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Meilen

$337 10% 57.9% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Meilen

$231 6.9% 72.7% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Meilen

$132 3.9% 98.3% $65

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Meilen

$145 4.3% 415% $117

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $1,690 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 521% 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 $122 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $570 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

17:31 5:31 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

13,515

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Meilen 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Meilen

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Meilen differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $3,372 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 521% lower in Meilen. 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $1,690 in Meilen. 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 $3,372 in Meilen – a 152% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 359% less than in Meilen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $3,372 in Meilen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Meilen. 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 Meilen 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 152% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.