Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Shimla

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $306 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$306

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Shimla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $306 in Shimla.

Bucharest $1,340
Shimla $306

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $500 in Shimla.

Bucharest $2,037
Shimla $500

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $694 in Shimla.

Bucharest $2,734
Shimla $694

Living in Bucharest is roughly 338% more expensive than in Shimla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Shimla 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$1.53 ₹145

847.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$10.60 ₹1,006

448.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$3.11 ₹295

140.51%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$0.90 ₹85.3

282.22%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.35 ₹33.46

577.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.11 ₹10.75

1990.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.60 ₹152

131.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.08 ₹197

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.64 ₹60.5

160.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.42 ₹40.15

226.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.62 ₹59.2

177.42%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$0.85 ₹80.3

328.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$4.28 ₹406

112.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$3.28 ₹311

108.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.80 ₹171

-31.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$0.70 ₹66.8

132.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.67 ₹64.0

134.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.48 ₹45.27

429.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.28 ₹26.57

182.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.36 ₹34.28

113.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.22 ₹20.91

295.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.27 ₹25.62

266.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$3.49 ₹331

80.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$8.35 ₹793

-25.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.48 ₹140

-19.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.02 ₹192

-22.28%

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

$3.77 ₹358

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.22 ₹20.92

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$7.72 ₹733

173.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.08 ₹102

-40.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.30 ₹28.25

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$1.08 ₹102

495.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.07 ₹102

83.18%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$8,473 ₹804.6K

242.25%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

52.66%

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

$196 RON 927

$18.12 ₹1,721

981.07%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$3.04 ₹289

164.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$6.76 ₹642

38.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$13.89 ₹1,319

261.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$10.41 ₹988

143.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$3.07 ₹291

165.47%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$40.81 ₹3,875

1438.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$2,117 ₹201.1K

565.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$25.09 ₹2,383

257.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$21.45 ₹2,037

78.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$38.68 ₹3,674

104.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$25.67 ₹2,438

252.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$84.2 ₹7,992

705.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$53.0 ₹5,037

745.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$199 ₹18.9K

443.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$127 ₹12.1K

471.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$552 ₹52.4K

579.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$553 ₹52.5K

297.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$607 ₹57.7K

118.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.25

-18.18%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shimla: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Shimla

$53 17.3% 88.2% $395

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Shimla

$46 15.1% 79.4% $179

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Shimla

$98 31.9% 56.5% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Shimla

$28 9.1% 86.9% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Shimla

$50 16.3% 62.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Shimla

$20 6.5% 69.9% $47

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Shimla

$11 3.7% 60.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $84.2 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 119% 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 $11.00 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $98.0 per month, with Shimla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Shimla

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

170,000

💱 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 Shimla 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Shimla

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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Shimla differ by about 338% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $306 including rent). Shimla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 119% 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 $84.2 in Shimla. 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 $306 in Shimla – a 338% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shimla runs roughly 173% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $306 in Shimla versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shimla but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Shimla 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 Shimla 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 Shimla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 338% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.