Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Shahrekord

For one person, living is cheaper in Shahrekord: $529 a month against $1,354 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Shahrekord
Learn more

Shahrekord Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,354

/mo nomad

Shahrekord

🇮🇷 Iran

$529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Shahrekord

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Bucharest versus $529 in Shahrekord.

Bucharest $1,354
Shahrekord $529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Bucharest versus $830 in Shahrekord.

Bucharest $2,043
Shahrekord $830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,733 in Bucharest versus $1,130 in Shahrekord.

Bucharest $2,733
Shahrekord $1,130

Living in Bucharest is roughly 156% more expensive than in Shahrekord, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.66 RON 70.3

$2.56 $2.56

472.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 277

$15.92 $15.92

262.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 RON 36.05

$4.19 $4.19

79.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.66 $0.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 $1.15

Cappuccino

$3.56 RON 17.05

$0.67 $0.67

431.34%

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

$2.47 RON 11.85

$0.47 $0.47

425.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 RON 10.48

$1.00 $1.00

118.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 RON 17.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 RON 20.52

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 8.02

$0.70 $0.70

138.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.47

$0.53 $0.53

154.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.51

$1.98 $1.98

-10.10%

Eggs

$3.56 RON 17.08

$1.15 $1.15

209.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 RON 43.75

$4.38 $4.38

108.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 RON 32.69

$3.63 $3.63

87.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 RON 58.2

$8.87 $8.87

36.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 RON 6.06

$0.97 $0.97

29.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.79

$1.62 $1.62

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.47

$0.87 $0.87

79.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.18

$0.61 $0.61

316.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.75

$0.54 $0.54

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.72

$0.50 $0.50

54.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 RON 4.26

$0.54 $0.54

64.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RON 4.31

$0.29 $0.29

210.34%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 RON 31.41

$2.87 $2.87

128.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.37 RON 30.53

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.78

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 RON 4.10

$0.15 $0.15

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 RON 99.3

$10.12 $10.12

104.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 RON 2.94

$0.38 $0.38

60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.94

$0.28 $0.28

117.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 RON 29.55

$2.94 $2.94

109.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 RON 9.58

$0.10 $0.10

1900.00%

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

$27.9K RON 134.0K

$45.5K $45.5K

-38.54%

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

$25.3K RON 121.5K

$45.2K $45.2K

-43.95%

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

$192 RON 921

$11.69 $11.69

1543.03%

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

$7.92 RON 37.97

$1.58 $1.58

401.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 RON 42.96

$4.13 $4.13

116.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 RON 240

$18.28 $18.28

173.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 RON 119

$13.10 $13.10

89.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.51 RON 40.80

$1.92 $1.92

343.23%

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

$686 RON 3,289

$92.9 $92.9

638.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 69.1K

$2,147 $2,147

571.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 RON 433

$23.07 $23.07

291.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 RON 186

$28.39 $28.39

36.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 RON 378

$108 $108

-26.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 RON 441

$73.8 $73.8

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 RON 3,410

$295 $295

140.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 RON 2,215

$214 $214

116.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 RON 5,052

$892 $892

18.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 RON 3,465

$349 $349

106.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,634 RON 17.4K

$903 $903

302.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,173 RON 10.4K

$495 $495

339.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,492

$200 $200

575.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

24.3

-72.22%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shahrekord: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$462 34.1%

Shahrekord

$214 40.4% 53.7% $248

Eating Out

Bucharest

$228 16.9%

Shahrekord

$47 8.9% 79.4% $181

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.6%

Shahrekord

$112 21.2% 50.2% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$209 15.4%

Shahrekord

$17 3.3% 91.7% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$135 10%

Shahrekord

$105 19.8% 22.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Shahrekord

$22 4.2% 67% $45

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Shahrekord

$13 2.4% 55% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $711 in Bucharest and $295 in Shahrekord. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays about 6.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $58 in Bucharest vs $16 in Shahrekord for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $112 per month, with Shahrekord cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇷 Shahrekord

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

01:54 1:54 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

129,153

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.8 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Shahrekord 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Shahrekord

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 Shahrekord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,354 in Bucharest and $529 in Shahrekord, so Shahrekord is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Bucharest is about 6.8 times higher, 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: $711 in Bucharest versus $295 in Shahrekord. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,354 per month in Bucharest versus $529 in Shahrekord – Shahrekord is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Shahrekord runs roughly 51% less than in Bucharest. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $529 in Shahrekord versus $1,354 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shahrekord but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Shahrekord 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.

Expats usually find Shahrekord gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.