Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Riehen

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $3,372 in Riehen, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 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
164

Cost of Living Index in Riehen
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Riehen Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Riehen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Riehen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $3,372 in Riehen.

Bucharest $1,340
Riehen $3,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $5,084 in Riehen.

Bucharest $2,037
Riehen $5,084

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $6,797 in Riehen.

Bucharest $2,734
Riehen $6,797

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 60% less than in Riehen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Riehen is 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$29.55 CHF 24.34

-50.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$120 CHF 98.5

-51.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$15.72 CHF 12.94

-52.42%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$6.21 CHF 5.11

-44.61%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$4.98 CHF 4.10

-52.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$5.26 CHF 4.33

-56.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$7.15 CHF 5.89

-48.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$6.57 CHF 5.41

-36.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$2.13 CHF 1.75

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$3.14 CHF 2.59

-56.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$3.51 CHF 2.89

-51.00%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$7.13 CHF 5.87

-48.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$24.83 CHF 20.45

-63.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$24.86 CHF 20.48

-72.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$37.07 CHF 30.53

-67.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$3.52 CHF 2.90

-65.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.61 CHF 1.33

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.51 CHF 2.07

-37.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$4.36 CHF 3.59

-41.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.78 CHF 1.46

-55.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-60.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$1.23 CHF 1.02

-19.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$10.91 CHF 8.99

-42.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$10.39 CHF 8.56

-40.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$3.48 CHF 2.87

-65.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-32.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-80.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$98.6 CHF 81.2

-78.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$9.84 CHF 8.11

-93.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-85.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-91.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-10.09%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

-30.06%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$39.3K CHF 32.3K

-32.14%

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

$196 RON 927

$339 CHF 280

-42.29%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$41.49 CHF 34.17

-80.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$56.6 CHF 46.59

-83.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$88.7 CHF 73.1

-43.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$45.01 CHF 37.07

-43.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$21.40 CHF 17.63

-61.92%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$1,786 CHF 1,471

-64.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$36.6K CHF 30.2K

-61.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$102 CHF 84.0

-12.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$57.0 CHF 46.94

-32.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$165 CHF 136

-52.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$183 CHF 151

-50.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$1,680 CHF 1,384

-59.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$1,440 CHF 1,186

-68.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$3,422 CHF 2,819

-68.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$2,418 CHF 1,992

-70.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-76.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$12.0K CHF 9,867

-81.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$8,642 CHF 7,118

-84.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

2.31

192.21%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Riehen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Riehen

$1.4K 42.7% 221% $991

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Riehen

$448 13.3% 98.9% $223

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Riehen

$540 16% 140% $315

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Riehen

$438 13% 105% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Riehen

$228 6.8% 70.5% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Riehen

$132 3.9% 97.7% $65

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Riehen

$146 4.3% 419% $118

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $1,680 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 550% 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 $120 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $540 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇭 Riehen

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

20,970

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Riehen 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Riehen

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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Riehen differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $3,372 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 550% lower in Riehen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $1,680 in Riehen. 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 $3,372 in Riehen – a 152% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 367% less than in Riehen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $3,372 in Riehen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Riehen. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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 Riehen 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.