Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Scalea

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,684 in Scalea, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Scalea
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Scalea Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Scalea

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Scalea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,684 in Scalea.

Bucharest $1,340
Scalea $1,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,468 in Scalea.

Bucharest $2,037
Scalea $2,468

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,252 in Scalea.

Bucharest $2,734
Scalea $3,252

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 20% less than in Scalea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Scalea is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$17.06 €15.17

-15.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$56.1 €49.87

3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$11.29 €10.04

-33.75%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.21 €1.97

55.66%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.94 €2.62

-19.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.85 €1.65

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$6.71 €5.97

-44.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$4.08 €3.63

1.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.28 €1.14

30.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.59 €1.41

-13.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.64 €2.35

-34.85%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.57 €3.18

1.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$11.05 €9.83

-17.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$11.89 €10.57

-42.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$15.45 €13.74

-22.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.08 €1.85

-40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.67 €1.49

-2.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.55 €1.38

1.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.85 €2.54

-10.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.69 €1.50

-53.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.28 €1.14

-39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.23 €1.10

-29.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.44 €0.39

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$6.81 €6.06

-7.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$7.88 €7.01

-21.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.76 €1.57

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.59 €1.42

-1.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.67 €1.48

-48.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$44.76 €39.81

-52.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$6.41 €5.70

-90.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.56 €1.38

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$30.47 €27.10

-78.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.02 €1.80

-2.97%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$36.6K €32.6K

-20.82%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$35.8K €31.9K

-25.63%

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

$196 RON 927

$305 €271

-35.68%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$10.21 €9.08

-21.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$35.39 €31.48

-73.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$56.3 €50.1

-10.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$21.95 €19.52

15.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$9.77 €8.69

-16.58%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$450 €400

39.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$6,585 €5,857

113.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$85.2 €75.8

5.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$32.98 €29.33

16.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$85.5 €76.0

-7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$127 €113

-29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$740 €658

-8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$506 €450

-11.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,042 €927

3.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$801 €713

-9.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,447 €1,287

159.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,132 €1,007

93.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.55

90.14%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Scalea: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Scalea

$506 30.1% 12.9% $58

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Scalea

$258 15.3% 14.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Scalea

$279 16.6% 24% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Scalea

$350 20.8% 64.2% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Scalea

$149 8.9% 11.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Scalea

$76 4.5% 14% $9.3

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Scalea

$66 3.9% 133% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $740 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $56.0 in Scalea. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $279, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇹 Scalea

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

10,913

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Scalea 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Scalea

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 Scalea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Scalea differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,684 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,011 in Bucharest and $2,526 in Scalea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $740 in Scalea. 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 $1,684 in Scalea – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 112% less than in Scalea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,684 in Scalea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Scalea. 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 Scalea 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 26% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.