Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Satu Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $930 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Satu Mare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $930 in Satu Mare.

Bucharest $1,337
Satu Mare $930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $1,406 in Satu Mare.

Bucharest $2,029
Satu Mare $1,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $1,883 in Satu Mare.

Bucharest $2,721
Satu Mare $1,883

Living in Bucharest is roughly 44% more expensive than in Satu Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Satu Mare 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$8.20 RON 38.81

76.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$32.51 RON 154

78.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$6.48 RON 30.67

16.20%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$2.50 RON 11.81

38.00%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$1.49 RON 7.04

65.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$1.28 RON 6.07

74.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$1.87 RON 8.87

101.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$2.44 RON 11.55

71.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$1.13 RON 5.33

43.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$1.06 RON 5.04

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.13 RON 5.36

50.44%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$2.69 RON 12.71

40.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$7.35 RON 34.79

20.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$7.53 RON 35.63

-8.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$10.83 RON 51.2

12.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$1.10 RON 5.19

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.30 RON 6.15

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$1.28 RON 6.04

22.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$1.43 RON 6.75

87.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$1.19 RON 5.61

-31.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$1.37 RON 6.48

-42.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$0.88 RON 4.14

3.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.71 RON 3.34

36.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$5.57 RON 26.38

15.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$6.19 RON 29.29

-0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.23 RON 5.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.70 RON 8.06

-1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$0.54 RON 2.56

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$23.41 RON 111

-10.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$0.80 RON 3.79

-17.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$0.85 RON 4.03

-29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$8.10 RON 38.34

-23.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$1.58 RON 7.47

22.15%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$22.8K RON 107.9K

26.04%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$25.3K RON 119.5K

4.24%

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

$196 RON 926

$126 RON 597

55.09%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$7.14 RON 33.79

18.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$7.25 RON 34.30

24.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$41.55 RON 197

19.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$10.68 RON 50.5

134.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$6.19 RON 29.29

33.12%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$155 RON 733

310.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$3,829 RON 18.1K

280.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$59.6 RON 282

48.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$28.51 RON 135

35.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$85.6 RON 405

-8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$69.2 RON 328

30.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$322 RON 1,524

115.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$260 RON 1,229

71.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$647 RON 3,060

67.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$410 RON 1,938

73.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$1,007 RON 4,765

276.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$1,056 RON 4,995

108.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

$650 RON 3,075

108.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.05

-4.26%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Satu Mare

$260 27.9% 41.7% $186

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Satu Mare

$140 15.1% 37.8% $85

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Satu Mare

$195 21% 13.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Satu Mare

$141 15.1% 34.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Satu Mare

$109 11.8% 18.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Satu Mare

$54 5.8% 18.3% $12

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Satu Mare

$31 3.3% 9% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $322 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 108% 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 $33.00 in Satu Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $195 per month, with Satu Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

102,411

💱 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

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Bucharest Satu Mare 450 km

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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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Satu Mare differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $930 including rent). Satu Mare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 108% 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 $322 in Satu Mare. 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 $930 in Satu Mare – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Satu Mare runs roughly 12% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $930 in Satu Mare versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.