Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Onesti Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Onesti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,430 in Bucharest versus $1,104 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Bucharest versus $1,678 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Bucharest versus $2,251 in Onesti.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 29% more expensive than in Onesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 4% above, Onesti is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.63 RON 70.6

$11.00 RON 49.68

42.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 RON 281

$45.28 RON 204

37.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 35.44

$7.92 RON 35.78

-0.88%

Cappuccino

$3.63 RON 16.37

$2.99 RON 13.48

21.40%

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

$2.48 RON 11.18

$2.23 RON 10.07

11.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 10.64

$1.78 RON 8.06

32.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 RON 17.70

$3.30 RON 14.90

18.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 RON 20.31

$4.07 RON 18.39

10.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.12

$1.10 RON 4.95

63.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 RON 6.36

$1.38 RON 6.25

2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.03

$2.15 RON 9.71

-17.21%

Eggs

$3.88 RON 17.50

$3.24 RON 14.63

19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 RON 43.40

$7.94 RON 35.84

21.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 RON 32.32

$6.61 RON 29.83

8.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 RON 55.3

$10.33 RON 46.64

18.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 RON 5.93

$1.08 RON 4.87

21.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 7.66

$1.51 RON 6.80

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.35

$1.66 RON 7.49

-1.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 RON 12.54

$2.19 RON 9.88

26.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 RON 3.89

$0.91 RON 4.09

-5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.36

$0.94 RON 4.26

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 RON 4.25

$1.23 RON 5.55

-23.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.40

$0.65 RON 2.94

49.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 RON 31.01

$6.80 RON 30.72

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 RON 30.05

$5.53 RON 24.98

20.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.67

$1.36 RON 6.16

-7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 7.81

$2.26 RON 10.18

-23.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 RON 4.86

$0.76 RON 3.45

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 RON 98.6

$22.44 RON 101

-2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 2.88

$0.93 RON 4.19

-31.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 RON 3.08

$0.93 RON 4.19

-26.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 RON 29.18

$8.74 RON 39.48

-26.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 RON 8.96

$1.51 RON 6.81

31.13%

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

$29.4K RON 132.6K

$29.2K RON 132.0K

0.40%

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

$27.8K RON 125.7K

$28.7K RON 129.4K

-2.85%

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

$204 RON 920

$187 RON 845

8.83%

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

$8.53 RON 38.52

$7.58 RON 34.24

12.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.56

$8.61 RON 38.87

14.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 RON 247

$40.27 RON 182

35.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 RON 115

$21.03 RON 95.0

21.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 RON 40.00

$8.83 RON 39.86

0.34%

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

$663 RON 2,994

$425 RON 1,919

55.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K RON 69.0K

$7,385 RON 33.3K

107.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 RON 430

$40.07 RON 181

137.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.99 RON 185

$40.84 RON 184

0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 RON 373

$96.1 RON 434

-13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 454

$93.8 RON 423

7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 RON 3,204

$400 RON 1,807

77.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 RON 2,214

$304 RON 1,371

61.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 RON 5,101

$634 RON 2,864

78.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 RON 3,426

$471 RON 2,124

61.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,914 RON 17.7K

$1,936 RON 8,742

102.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,317 RON 10.5K

$1,405 RON 6,342

64.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,486 RON 6,708

$666 RON 3,006

123.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

7.29

-6.31%

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

Last update for Bucharest: September 1, 2026

Last update for Onesti: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $710 in Bucharest and $400 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 123% 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: $62.0 in Bucharest vs $45.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $206 per month, with Onesti cheaper across the board.

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 Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Onesti differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,430 vs $1,104 including rent). Onesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 123% 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: $710 in Bucharest versus $400 in Onesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,430 per month in Bucharest versus $1,104 in Onesti – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Onesti runs roughly 3% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,104 in Onesti versus $1,430 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Onesti but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Onesti 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 Onesti 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 Onesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.