Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Misrata

For one person, living is cheaper in Misrata: $440 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Misrata
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Misrata Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Misrata

🇱🇾 Libya

$440

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Misrata

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $440 in Misrata.

Bucharest $1,340
Misrata $440

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $708 in Misrata.

Bucharest $2,037
Misrata $708

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $977 in Misrata.

Bucharest $2,734
Misrata $977

Living in Bucharest is roughly 205% more expensive than in Misrata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Misrata 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$2.57 LYD 16.49

463.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$7.93 LYD 50.8

632.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$2.58 LYD 16.50

189.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.63 LYD 4.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 LYD 2.88

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$0.44 LYD 2.81

681.82%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.46 LYD 2.94

415.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.11 LYD 0.70

1990.91%

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

$0.90 LYD 5.79

85.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.20 LYD 1.28

585.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.96 LYD 6.17

79.17%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.22 LYD 7.79

198.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$4.02 LYD 25.76

125.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$3.41 LYD 21.88

100.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$8.66 LYD 55.5

38.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.31 LYD 14.77

-46.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.46 LYD 9.38

11.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.74 LYD 4.72

112.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.60 LYD 3.85

323.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.72 LYD 4.61

9.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.50 LYD 3.22

54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.40 LYD 2.55

117.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.17 LYD 1.12

482.35%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.20 LYD 14.08

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 LYD 4.45

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 LYD 5.30

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$1.91 LYD 12.27

230.37%

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

$0.64 LYD 4.09

34.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$38.98 LYD 250

-45.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.79 LYD 5.09

-18.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.49 LYD 3.16

22.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$2.34 LYD 15.02

174.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$0.02 LYD 0.13

9700.00%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$23.2K LYD 148.9K

24.82%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$19.6K LYD 125.6K

35.92%

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

$196 RON 927

$63.2 LYD 405

209.76%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$6.23 LYD 39.94

29.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$26.42 LYD 169

-64.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$14.26 LYD 91.4

252.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$7.77 LYD 49.79

226.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$4.56 LYD 29.21

78.73%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$25.48 LYD 163

2364.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$824 LYD 5,282

1608.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$23.01 LYD 147

289.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$17.16 LYD 110

123.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$46.94 LYD 301

68.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$41.91 LYD 269

115.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$147 LYD 944

360.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$73.7 LYD 472

508.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$321 LYD 2,057

237.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$218 LYD 1,398

232.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$505 LYD 3,237

642.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$102 LYD 653

2052.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$396 LYD 2,535

236.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-66.25%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Misrata: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Misrata

$74 16.8% 83.6% $375

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Misrata

$36 8.2% 84.1% $189

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Misrata

$108 24.6% 52% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Misrata

$96 21.8% 55% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Misrata

$58 13.2% 56.6% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Misrata

$23 5.3% 64.9% $43

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Misrata

$45 10.2% 58.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $147 in Misrata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 236% 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 $8.00 in Misrata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $108 per month, with Misrata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇱🇾 Misrata

🕒 Local time

22:48 10:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

600,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, 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).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Misrata 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Misrata

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 Misrata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Misrata differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $440 including rent). Misrata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 236% 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 $147 in Misrata. 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 $440 in Misrata – a 205% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Misrata runs roughly 85% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $440 in Misrata versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Misrata but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Misrata 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 Misrata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.