Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Staefa

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $3,334 in Staefa, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 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
167

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
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Staefa Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Staefa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $3,334 in Staefa.

Bucharest $1,337
Staefa $3,334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $5,350 in Staefa.

Bucharest $2,029
Staefa $5,350

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $7,365 in Staefa.

Bucharest $2,721
Staefa $7,365

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 60% less than in Staefa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Staefa is 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$32.82 CHF 27.03

-55.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$121 CHF 99.3

-51.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$16.37 CHF 13.49

-54.00%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$6.22 CHF 5.12

-44.53%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-58.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$5.00 CHF 4.12

-55.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$8.26 CHF 6.80

-54.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$8.41 CHF 6.93

-50.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-27.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$3.45 CHF 2.84

-62.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$3.77 CHF 3.11

-54.91%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$8.37 CHF 6.90

-54.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$26.91 CHF 22.17

-67.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$25.91 CHF 21.34

-73.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$55.2 CHF 45.46

-78.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$3.47 CHF 2.86

-62.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$2.75 CHF 2.27

-41.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$3.58 CHF 2.95

-56.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$4.48 CHF 3.69

-40.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-67.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-65.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$2.48 CHF 2.05

-63.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$1.29 CHF 1.06

-24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$10.79 CHF 8.88

-40.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$13.68 CHF 11.27

-54.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$2.74 CHF 2.26

-55.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$3.21 CHF 2.64

-47.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$4.37 CHF 3.60

-80.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$100 CHF 82.5

-79.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$7.40 CHF 6.10

-91.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-87.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$87.0 CHF 71.7

-92.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$2.34 CHF 1.93

-17.52%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-27.47%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$39.5K CHF 32.5K

-33.31%

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

$196 RON 926

$236 CHF 194

-17.10%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$31.65 CHF 26.06

-73.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$56.5 CHF 46.52

-83.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$79.0 CHF 65.1

-37.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$44.96 CHF 37.03

-44.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$22.08 CHF 18.18

-62.68%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$2,812 CHF 2,316

-77.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$42.2K CHF 34.7K

-65.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$138 CHF 113

-35.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$59.9 CHF 49.37

-35.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$147 CHF 121

-46.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$171 CHF 141

-46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$1,581 CHF 1,302

-56.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$1,382 CHF 1,138

-67.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$2,894 CHF 2,383

-62.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$2,779 CHF 2,289

-74.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$17.3K CHF 14.3K

-78.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$14.1K CHF 11.6K

-84.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

1.72

292.44%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Staefa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Staefa

$1.4K 41.4% 210% $936

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Staefa

$488 14.6% 116% $262

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Staefa

$637 19.1% 182% $411

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Staefa

$324 9.7% 52% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Staefa

$232 7% 73.9% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Staefa

$123 3.7% 86.6% $57

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Staefa

$149 4.5% 429% $121

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $1,581 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $121 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $637 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇭 Staefa

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

11,567

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Bucharest Staefa 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Staefa

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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Staefa differ by about 149% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $3,334 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,006 in Bucharest and $5,002 in Staefa 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: $695 in Bucharest versus $1,581 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $3,334 in Staefa – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 377% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $3,334 in Staefa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Staefa. 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 Staefa 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 149% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.