Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Ouargla

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouargla: $522 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Ouargla
Learn more

Ouargla Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Ouargla

🇩🇿 Algeria

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Ouargla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $522 in Ouargla.

Bucharest $1,337
Ouargla $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $846 in Ouargla.

Bucharest $2,029
Ouargla $846

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $1,170 in Ouargla.

Bucharest $2,721
Ouargla $1,170

Living in Bucharest is roughly 156% more expensive than in Ouargla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Ouargla 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$3.07 DZD 412

370.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$17.46 DZD 2,338

232.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$3.95 DZD 528

90.63%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$0.64 DZD 85.0

439.06%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$0.58 DZD 77.7

324.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$0.24 DZD 31.92

829.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$1.49 DZD 200

152.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$2.18 DZD 292

92.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$0.82 DZD 110

97.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$0.15 DZD 20.61

766.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.10 DZD 147

54.55%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$1.23 DZD 165

208.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$7.81 DZD 1,046

13.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$3.99 DZD 534

72.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$14.19 DZD 1,900

-14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$2.03 DZD 272

-35.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$2.84 DZD 380

-43.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$1.07 DZD 143

46.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$0.90 DZD 120

197.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$0.61 DZD 81.9

32.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$0.49 DZD 65.1

61.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$0.70 DZD 94.2

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.27 DZD 36.44

259.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$2.67 DZD 358

140.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$6.55 DZD 876

-5.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.24 DZD 166

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.88 DZD 251

-11.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$0.24 DZD 32.15

262.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$6.53 DZD 875

221.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$0.57 DZD 76.6

15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$0.43 DZD 57.8

39.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$5.07 DZD 679

22.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$0.35 DZD 46.99

451.43%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$31.6K DZD 4.2M

-8.97%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$34.2K DZD 4.6M

-23.02%

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

$196 RON 926

$36.26 DZD 4,854

439.49%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$8.99 DZD 1,204

-5.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$12.30 DZD 1,647

-26.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$22.21 DZD 2,973

123.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$4.39 DZD 588

87.70%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$327 DZD 43.8K

94.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$4,685 DZD 627.2K

211.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$32.42 DZD 4,341

173.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$35.14 DZD 4,704

10.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$68.0 DZD 9,104

15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$80.7 DZD 10.8K

12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$143 DZD 19.1K

386.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$93.8 DZD 12.6K

375.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$273 DZD 36.6K

296.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$192 DZD 25.7K

270.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$955 DZD 127.8K

297.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$1,033 DZD 138.3K

113.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.3

27.36%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ouargla: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Ouargla

$94 18% 79% $352

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Ouargla

$59 11.3% 73.8% $166

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Ouargla

$173 33.1% 23.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Ouargla

$58 11% 73% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Ouargla

$97 18.7% 27.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Ouargla

$31 5.9% 53.1% $35

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Ouargla

$10 2% 63.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $143 in Ouargla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $17.00 in Ouargla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $173 per month, with Ouargla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇩🇿 Ouargla

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

19:25 7:25 PM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

133,024

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Ouargla 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Ouargla

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 Ouargla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Ouargla differ by about 156% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $522 including rent). Ouargla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,006 in Bucharest and $783 in Ouargla to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Bucharest versus $143 in Ouargla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $522 in Ouargla – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ouargla runs roughly 221% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $522 in Ouargla versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ouargla but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Ouargla 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 Ouargla 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 Ouargla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.