Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Mutare

For one person, living is cheaper in Mutare: $789 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mutare
Learn more

Mutare Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Mutare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $789 in Mutare.

Bucharest $1,340
Mutare $789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,220 in Mutare.

Bucharest $2,037
Mutare $1,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,651 in Mutare.

Bucharest $2,734
Mutare $1,651

Living in Bucharest is roughly 70% more expensive than in Mutare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Mutare 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$10.15 ZWL 270

42.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$45.07 ZWL 1,199

28.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$4.42 ZWL 118

69.23%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.28 ZWL 34.07

168.75%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.73 ZWL 19.54

224.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.46 ZWL 12.11

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.22 ZWL 32.33

203.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$1.78 ZWL 47.47

133.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.22 ZWL 32.42

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.98 ZWL 26.14

39.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.33 ZWL 35.28

29.32%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.87 ZWL 49.72

94.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$2.92 ZWL 77.8

210.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$4.04 ZWL 107

69.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$5.01 ZWL 133

139.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.04 ZWL 54.3

-39.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.70 ZWL 45.15

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

-23.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.98 ZWL 26.18

159.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.75 ZWL 46.52

-54.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.99 ZWL 26.33

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.48 ZWL 12.83

81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.99 ZWL 26.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

434.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.09 ZWL 162

1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.73 ZWL 45.96

-9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.77 ZWL 20.48

11.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$26.46 ZWL 704

-20.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$3.02 ZWL 80.3

-78.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

-69.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$4.94 ZWL 131

30.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.86 ZWL 49.42

5.38%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$21.6K ZWL 575.1K

34.17%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$23.6K ZWL 629.3K

12.65%

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

$196 RON 927

$50.7 ZWL 1,349

286.29%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$14.72 ZWL 392

-45.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$59.4 ZWL 1,580

-84.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$39.95 ZWL 1,063

25.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$5.05 ZWL 134

401.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$9.89 ZWL 263

-17.59%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$150 ZWL 4,002

317.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$8,553 ZWL 227.6K

64.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$10.06 ZWL 268

790.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$9.48 ZWL 252

304.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$24.80 ZWL 660

219.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$20.27 ZWL 539

345.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$356 ZWL 9,462

90.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$253 ZWL 6,742

76.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$750 ZWL 19.9K

44.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$395 ZWL 10.5K

83.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$246 ZWL 6,539

1426.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$247 ZWL 6,566

438.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

13.69

-50.69%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mutare: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Mutare

$253 32.1% 43.5% $195

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Mutare

$124 15.8% 44.8% $101

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Mutare

$155 19.6% 31.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Mutare

$125 15.8% 41.5% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Mutare

$29 3.7% 78.3% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Mutare

$60 7.6% 10.2% $6.8

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Mutare

$42 5.4% 50.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $356 in Mutare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 439% 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 $45.00 in Mutare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $155 per month, with Mutare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇿🇼 Mutare

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

188,243

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, 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).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Mutare 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Mutare

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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Mutare differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $789 including rent). Mutare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 439% 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 $356 in Mutare. 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 $789 in Mutare – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mutare runs roughly 25% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $789 in Mutare versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mutare but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Mutare 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 Mutare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.