Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Pitesti

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Pitesti: $1,337 and $1,284 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Pitesti
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Pitesti Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Pitesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Pitesti

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $1,284 in Pitesti.

Bucharest $1,337
Pitesti $1,284

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $1,958 in Pitesti.

Bucharest $2,029
Pitesti $1,958

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $2,632 in Pitesti.

Bucharest $2,721
Pitesti $2,632

Living in Bucharest is roughly 4% more expensive than in Pitesti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Pitesti 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$15.65 RON 74.1

-7.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$63.3 RON 299

-8.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$6.82 RON 32.25

10.41%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$2.56 RON 12.13

34.77%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$2.18 RON 10.34

12.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$1.52 RON 7.21

46.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$2.58 RON 12.22

45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$2.07 RON 9.77

102.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$1.73 RON 8.18

-6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$1.13 RON 5.36

15.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.63 RON 7.72

4.29%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$3.19 RON 15.11

18.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$10.34 RON 48.92

-14.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$6.26 RON 29.64

10.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$13.71 RON 64.9

-11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$1.64 RON 7.77

-20.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.59 RON 7.54

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$1.66 RON 7.84

-5.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$3.98 RON 18.82

-32.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$1.13 RON 5.37

-28.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$1.33 RON 6.30

-40.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$1.72 RON 8.16

-47.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.78 RON 3.68

24.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$6.27 RON 29.67

2.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$6.02 RON 28.50

2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$0.97 RON 4.59

26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.90 RON 9.00

-12.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$0.76 RON 3.59

14.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$23.28 RON 110

-9.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$0.94 RON 4.43

-29.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$1.02 RON 4.84

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$6.50 RON 30.74

-4.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$1.73 RON 8.18

11.56%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$24.0K RON 113.7K

19.56%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$27.4K RON 129.8K

-4.01%

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

$196 RON 926

$184 RON 873

6.06%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$7.92 RON 37.47

7.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$12.57 RON 59.5

-28.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$44.34 RON 210

11.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$20.17 RON 95.4

24.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$8.30 RON 39.29

-0.72%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$418 RON 1,977

52.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$2,079 RON 9,837

601.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$112 RON 531

-21.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$43.41 RON 205

-10.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$119 RON 563

-33.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$174 RON 825

-48.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$519 RON 2,457

33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$337 RON 1,595

32.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$738 RON 3,494

46.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$453 RON 2,142

57.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$1,702 RON 8,051

123.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$1,242 RON 5,876

77.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

$992 RON 4,695

36.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.07

-16.36%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pitesti: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Pitesti

$337 26.3% 24.3% $108

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Pitesti

$208 16.2% 7.6% $17

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Pitesti

$239 18.6% 5.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Pitesti

$205 16% 3.9% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Pitesti

$202 15.7% 51.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Pitesti

$61 4.7% 7.7% $5.1

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Pitesti

$32 2.5% 15.1% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $519 in Pitesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 36% 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 $63.0 in Pitesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $239 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Pitesti

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

155,383

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Pitesti 110 km

From you

Bucharest
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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 Pitesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Pitesti differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $1,284 including rent). Pitesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $695 in Bucharest versus $519 in Pitesti. 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 $1,284 in Pitesti – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pitesti runs roughly 11% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,284 in Pitesti versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pitesti but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Pitesti 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 Pitesti 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 Pitesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.