Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Skikda

For one person, living is cheaper in Skikda: $540 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Skikda
Learn more

Skikda Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Skikda

🇩🇿 Algeria

$540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Skikda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $540 in Skikda.

Bucharest $1,340
Skikda $540

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $881 in Skikda.

Bucharest $2,037
Skikda $881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,223 in Skikda.

Bucharest $2,734
Skikda $1,223

Living in Bucharest is roughly 148% more expensive than in Skikda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Skikda 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$3.19 DZD 428

354.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$19.38 DZD 2,595

199.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$3.97 DZD 532

88.41%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$0.63 DZD 84.1

446.03%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.38 DZD 51.4

523.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.28 DZD 38.03

721.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.44 DZD 192

156.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.04 DZD 273

103.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.95 DZD 128

75.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.16 DZD 21.35

756.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.61 DZD 215

6.83%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$1.19 DZD 160

205.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.96 DZD 1,066

14.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$4.35 DZD 582

57.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$12.98 DZD 1,738

-7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$2.10 DZD 281

-41.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.71 DZD 363

-39.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.12 DZD 150

40.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.07 DZD 143

137.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.52 DZD 70.2

51.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.49 DZD 65.4

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.41 DZD 55.3

112.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.25 DZD 33.23

296.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$2.62 DZD 351

140.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$7.31 DZD 979

-15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.28 DZD 171

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.70 DZD 228

-7.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.17 DZD 22.79

405.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$7.45 DZD 998

183.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.92 DZD 124

-30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.45 DZD 60.1

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$5.49 DZD 735

17.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$0.34 DZD 44.86

476.47%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$32.8K DZD 4.4M

-11.58%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$29.4K DZD 3.9M

-9.25%

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

$196 RON 927

$36.77 DZD 4,923

432.74%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$10.27 DZD 1,375

-21.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$15.97 DZD 2,138

-41.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$17.85 DZD 2,390

181.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$4.31 DZD 577

89.10%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$340 DZD 45.5K

84.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$4,091 DZD 547.6K

244.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$31.59 DZD 4,230

183.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$33.97 DZD 4,547

12.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$74.5 DZD 9,970

6.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$111 DZD 14.8K

-18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$146 DZD 19.5K

365.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$92.1 DZD 12.3K

386.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$271 DZD 36.3K

299.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$199 DZD 26.6K

264.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$955 DZD 127.9K

292.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,041 DZD 139.4K

110.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$271 DZD 36.3K

390.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.3

27.36%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Skikda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Skikda

$92 17.1% 79.5% $356

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Skikda

$59 10.9% 73.8% $166

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Skikda

$175 32.5% 22.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Skikda

$63 11.7% 70.5% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Skikda

$113 20.9% 15.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Skikda

$26 4.9% 60.2% $40

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Skikda

$11 2.1% 59.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $146 in Skikda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 390% 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 $19.00 in Skikda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $175 per month, with Skikda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇩🇿 Skikda

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

163,618

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, 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).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Skikda 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Skikda

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 Skikda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Skikda differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $540 including rent). Skikda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 390% 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 $146 in Skikda. 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 $540 in Skikda – a 148% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Skikda runs roughly 183% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $540 in Skikda versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Skikda but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Skikda 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 Skikda 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 Skikda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.