Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Miercurea Ciuc

For one person, living is cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc: $735 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Miercurea Ciuc
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Miercurea Ciuc Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Miercurea Ciuc

🇷🇴 Romania

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Miercurea Ciuc

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $735 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Bucharest $1,340
Miercurea Ciuc $735

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,172 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Bucharest $2,037
Miercurea Ciuc $1,172

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,609 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Bucharest $2,734
Miercurea Ciuc $1,609

Living in Bucharest is roughly 82% more expensive than in Miercurea Ciuc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Miercurea Ciuc 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$6.29 RON 29.78

130.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$20.86 RON 98.7

178.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$6.10 RON 28.85

22.62%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.72 RON 8.14

100.00%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.61 RON 7.63

47.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.39 RON 6.55

65.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.02 RON 9.56

83.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$1.94 RON 9.18

114.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.36 RON 6.45

22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.14 RON 5.41

20.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.33 RON 6.28

29.32%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.39 RON 16.03

7.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.97 RON 37.72

13.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$4.57 RON 21.61

49.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$7.97 RON 37.72

50.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$0.71 RON 3.37

73.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.49 RON 7.05

9.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.49 RON 7.04

5.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.48 RON 11.75

2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.66 RON 3.10

19.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.66 RON 3.10

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.40 RON 1.91

117.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.66 RON 3.11

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.08 RON 24.05

24.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$5.18 RON 24.52

19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$0.95 RON 4.49

25.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.28 RON 6.04

22.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.83 RON 3.91

3.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$21.11 RON 99.9

-0.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.97 RON 4.59

-34.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.85 RON 4.03

-29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$8.57 RON 40.54

-24.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.68 RON 7.96

16.67%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$24.9K RON 117.8K

16.42%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$24.6K RON 116.4K

8.30%

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

$196 RON 927

$114 RON 540

71.56%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$5.37 RON 25.39

49.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$5.08 RON 24.05

84.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$31.21 RON 148

60.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$10.57 RON 50.0

139.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$4.77 RON 22.55

70.86%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$446 RON 2,109

40.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$6,729 RON 31.8K

109.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$42.42 RON 201

111.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$16.62 RON 78.6

130.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$68.6 RON 325

15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$82.9 RON 392

8.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$185 RON 878

265.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$155 RON 731

190.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$414 RON 1,957

161.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$370 RON 1,750

96.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,476 RON 6,982

154.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,363 RON 6,447

61.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$691 RON 3,270

92.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.85

-1.46%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Miercurea Ciuc

$155 21% 65.5% $294

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Miercurea Ciuc

$115 15.7% 48.8% $110

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Miercurea Ciuc

$176 23.9% 21.8% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Miercurea Ciuc

$125 17% 41.6% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Miercurea Ciuc

$95 12.9% 29.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Miercurea Ciuc

$41 5.5% 38.7% $26

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Miercurea Ciuc

$30 4% 5.1% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $185 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 92% 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 $21.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $176 per month, with Miercurea Ciuc cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

38,966

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Miercurea Ciuc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Miercurea Ciuc differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $735 including rent). Miercurea Ciuc is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 92% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $185 in Miercurea Ciuc. 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 $735 in Miercurea Ciuc – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Miercurea Ciuc runs roughly 0% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $735 in Miercurea Ciuc versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miercurea Ciuc but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.