Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Mostar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mostar: $899 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Mostar
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Mostar Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Mostar

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Mostar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $899 in Mostar.

Bucharest $1,340
Mostar $899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,402 in Mostar.

Bucharest $2,037
Mostar $1,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,904 in Mostar.

Bucharest $2,734
Mostar $1,904

Living in Bucharest is roughly 49% more expensive than in Mostar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Mostar 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$6.85 BAM 11.91

111.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$31.14 BAM 54.2

86.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$5.67 BAM 9.86

31.92%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.65 BAM 2.86

108.48%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.83 BAM 3.18

29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.18 BAM 2.05

94.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.34 BAM 4.07

58.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.09 BAM 3.64

99.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.16 BAM 2.01

43.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.91 BAM 1.58

50.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.97 BAM 3.43

-12.69%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.63 BAM 4.58

38.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.77 BAM 13.52

16.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$7.40 BAM 12.87

-7.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$10.58 BAM 18.39

13.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.10 BAM 1.91

11.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.65 BAM 2.87

-1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.35 BAM 2.35

16.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.15 BAM 1.99

120.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.04 BAM 1.80

-24.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.97 BAM 1.69

-20.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.71 BAM 1.24

22.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.71 BAM 1.23

39.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$3.92 BAM 6.82

60.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$4.04 BAM 7.02

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$0.80 BAM 1.39

48.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.89 BAM 1.54

76.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.11 BAM 1.94

-22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$36.85 BAM 64.1

-42.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.73 BAM 3.00

-63.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.55 BAM 0.96

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$5.77 BAM 10.03

11.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.51 BAM 2.63

29.80%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$29.9K BAM 52.0K

-2.97%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$21.3K BAM 37.0K

25.26%

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

$196 RON 927

$90.6 BAM 158

116.19%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$17.70 BAM 30.77

-54.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$26.06 BAM 45.31

-64.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$35.45 BAM 61.6

41.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$10.08 BAM 17.54

151.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$5.77 BAM 10.04

41.25%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$135 BAM 235

365.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$18.5K BAM 32.2K

-23.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$57.9 BAM 101

54.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$32.01 BAM 55.7

19.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$87.0 BAM 151

-8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$81.3 BAM 141

11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$432 BAM 752

56.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$249 BAM 433

80.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$663 BAM 1,153

63.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$459 BAM 798

58.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,305 BAM 4,008

62.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,582 BAM 2,751

38.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$860 BAM 1,495

54.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.3

56.98%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mostar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Mostar

$249 27.7% 44.5% $200

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Mostar

$119 13.3% 46.9% $106

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Mostar

$188 20.9% 16.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Mostar

$134 14.9% 37% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Mostar

$116 12.9% 13.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Mostar

$47 5.2% 29.4% $20

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Mostar

$46 5.1% 62.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $432 in Mostar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 55% 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 $31.00 in Mostar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $188 per month, with Mostar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇧🇦 Mostar

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

12:35 12:35 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

60,195

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Mostar 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Mostar

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 Mostar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Mostar differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $899 including rent). Mostar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $432 in Mostar. 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 $899 in Mostar – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mostar runs roughly 75% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $899 in Mostar versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mostar but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Mostar 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 Mostar 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 Mostar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.