Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Prilep

For one person, living is cheaper in Prilep: $728 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Prilep
Learn more

Prilep Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Prilep

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Prilep

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $728 in Prilep.

Bucharest $1,340
Prilep $728

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,102 in Prilep.

Bucharest $2,037
Prilep $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,475 in Prilep.

Bucharest $2,734
Prilep $1,475

Living in Bucharest is roughly 84% more expensive than in Prilep, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Prilep 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$4.02 MKD 219

260.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$27.36 MKD 1,493

112.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$5.69 MKD 311

31.46%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.40 MKD 76.2

145.71%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.53 MKD 83.7

54.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.24 MKD 67.7

85.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.58 MKD 86.0

134.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.04 MKD 111

103.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.13 MKD 61.4

47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.72 MKD 39.21

90.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.53 MKD 83.5

12.42%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.03 MKD 110

79.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$6.91 MKD 377

31.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.86 MKD 320

16.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$10.88 MKD 594

10.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$0.87 MKD 47.62

41.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.38 MKD 75.5

18.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.94 MKD 51.1

67.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.30 MKD 71.2

95.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.78 MKD 42.29

1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.77 MKD 42.04

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.59 MKD 32.01

47.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.45 MKD 24.62

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$2.86 MKD 156

120.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$4.94 MKD 269

25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$0.95 MKD 51.8

25.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.18 MKD 64.6

33.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.37 MKD 20.43

132.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$18.48 MKD 1,008

14.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.06 MKD 57.8

-39.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.60 MKD 32.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$6.51 MKD 355

-1.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.46 MKD 79.7

34.25%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$33.3K MKD 1.8M

-12.95%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$26.9K MKD 1.5M

-0.92%

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

$196 RON 927

$121 MKD 6,627

61.25%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$16.81 MKD 917

-52.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$13.98 MKD 763

-33.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$19.64 MKD 1,072

155.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$8.20 MKD 448

208.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$5.31 MKD 290

53.48%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$277 MKD 15.1K

126.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$1,161 MKD 63.3K

1113.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$36.80 MKD 2,008

143.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$36.16 MKD 1,973

5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$65.3 MKD 3,562

21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$77.5 MKD 4,229

16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$233 MKD 12.7K

190.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$169 MKD 9,201

165.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$497 MKD 27.1K

117.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$271 MKD 14.8K

167.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,021 MKD 55.7K

267.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$813 MKD 44.3K

170.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$586 MKD 32.0K

126.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.23

59.57%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Prilep: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Prilep

$169 23.2% 62.4% $280

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Prilep

$89 12.2% 60.5% $136

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Prilep

$167 22.9% 25.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Prilep

$152 20.9% 28.6% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Prilep

$97 13.3% 27.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Prilep

$30 4.2% 54.5% $36

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Prilep

$24 3.3% 14.7% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $233 in Prilep. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 127% 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 $27.00 in Prilep for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $167 per month, with Prilep cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇲🇰 Prilep

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

63,308

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Prilep 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Prilep

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 Prilep: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Prilep differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $728 including rent). Prilep is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 127% 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 $233 in Prilep. 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 $728 in Prilep – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Prilep runs roughly 14% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $728 in Prilep versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Prilep but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Prilep 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 Prilep 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 Prilep gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.