Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Schaan

For one person, living is cheaper in Schaan: $1,267 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bucharest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Schaan

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$1,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Schaan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,267 in Schaan.

Bucharest $1,340
Schaan $1,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,164 in Schaan.

Bucharest $2,037
Schaan $2,164

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,060 in Schaan.

Bucharest $2,734
Schaan $3,060

Living in Bucharest is roughly 6% more expensive than in Schaan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Schaan 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$26.57 CHF 21.88

-45.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$84.4 CHF 69.5

-31.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$14.30 CHF 11.78

-47.69%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$6.71 CHF 5.52

-48.73%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$3.05 CHF 2.52

-22.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$6.06 CHF 4.99

-62.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.62 CHF 2.99

14.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.90 CHF 1.57

-12.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$4.84 CHF 3.99

-71.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$5.62 CHF 4.63

-35.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$28.25 CHF 23.26

-67.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$23.79 CHF 19.59

-71.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$48.66 CHF 40.08

-75.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$8.46 CHF 6.97

-69.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$12.13 CHF 9.99

-48.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-63.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-17.65%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

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

$196 RON 927

$85.0 CHF 70.0

130.40%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$32.98 CHF 27.16

-75.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$41.88 CHF 34.49

-77.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$121 CHF 99.6

-58.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$19.21 CHF 15.82

-57.57%

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

$628 RON 2,971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$1,772 CHF 1,459

-61.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$3,026 CHF 2,492

-64.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$9,775 CHF 8,051

-61.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$6,054 CHF 4,986

-63.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$8,434 CHF 6,947

-84.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

68.75%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Schaan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Schaan

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Schaan

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Schaan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Schaan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Schaan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Schaan

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Schaan

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $1,772 in Schaan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Schaan pays 534% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $84.0 in Schaan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $535 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇱🇮 Schaan

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

6,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Schaan 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Schaan

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 Schaan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Schaan differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,267 including rent). Schaan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 534% lower in Schaan. 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 $1,772 in Schaan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Schaan – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $58.0 in Bucharest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,267 in Schaan – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,267 in Schaan versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Schaan but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Schaan 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 Schaan 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 Schaan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.