Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Rourkela

For one person, living is cheaper in Rourkela: $302 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Rourkela
Learn more

Rourkela Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Rourkela

🇮🇳 India

$302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Rourkela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $302 in Rourkela.

Bucharest $1,340
Rourkela $302

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $520 in Rourkela.

Bucharest $2,037
Rourkela $520

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $737 in Rourkela.

Bucharest $2,734
Rourkela $737

Living in Bucharest is roughly 344% more expensive than in Rourkela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Rourkela 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$1.60 ₹152

805.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$10.33 ₹981

462.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$4.22 ₹401

77.25%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.37 ₹130

151.09%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.27 ₹25.73

777.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.15 ₹14.44

1433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.56 ₹148

137.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.09 ₹294

34.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.47 ₹44.42

255.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.35 ₹33.66

291.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.37 ₹35.44

364.86%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$0.80 ₹76.4

355.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$2.55 ₹243

256.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$2.70 ₹257

153.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.55 ₹147

-20.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$0.63 ₹60.1

158.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.60 ₹57.2

161.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.30 ₹28.50

746.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.23 ₹21.78

243.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.22 ₹20.81

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.49 ₹46.39

77.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.32 ₹30.78

209.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.17 ₹491

22.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$7.77 ₹738

-20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.88 ₹178

-36.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.44 ₹232

-35.66%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$7.03 ₹668

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.15 ₹14.39

473.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$6.79 ₹645

210.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.03 ₹97.5

-37.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.20 ₹18.98

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$2.04 ₹193

215.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.08 ₹103

81.48%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$9,235 ₹877.0K

214.00%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$15.5K ₹1.5M

71.60%

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

$196 RON 927

$23.84 ₹2,264

721.69%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$3.15 ₹300

155.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$6.74 ₹640

38.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$13.89 ₹1,319

261.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$6.50 ₹617

289.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$3.17 ₹301

157.10%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$78.3 ₹7,436

701.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$2,302 ₹218.6K

511.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$22.69 ₹2,155

294.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$25.70 ₹2,441

49.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$37.18 ₹3,531

113.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$32.17 ₹3,055

180.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$122 ₹11.6K

454.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$41.71 ₹3,961

974.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$259 ₹24.6K

318.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$175 ₹16.6K

315.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,015 ₹96.4K

269.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$477 ₹45.3K

360.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$820 ₹77.8K

62.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

9.17

-26.39%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rourkela: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Rourkela

$42 13.8% 90.7% $407

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Rourkela

$58 19.1% 74.4% $168

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Rourkela

$86 28.6% 61.6% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Rourkela

$34 11.2% 84.2% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Rourkela

$53 17.5% 60.4% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Rourkela

$20 6.7% 69.6% $46

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Rourkela

$9.4 3.1% 66.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $122 in Rourkela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 62% 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 $10.00 in Rourkela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $86.0 per month, with Rourkela cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Rourkela

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

07:51 7:51 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

210,300

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Rourkela 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Rourkela

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 Rourkela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Rourkela differ by about 344% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $302 including rent). Rourkela is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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 $122 in Rourkela. 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 $302 in Rourkela – a 344% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rourkela runs roughly 211% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $302 in Rourkela versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rourkela but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Rourkela 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 Rourkela 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 Rourkela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 344% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.