Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Strumica

For one person, living is cheaper in Strumica: $855 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Strumica
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Strumica Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Strumica

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Strumica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $855 in Strumica.

Bucharest $1,340
Strumica $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,214 in Strumica.

Bucharest $2,037
Strumica $1,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,573 in Strumica.

Bucharest $2,734
Strumica $1,573

Living in Bucharest is roughly 57% more expensive than in Strumica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Strumica 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$3.65 MKD 199

296.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$22.76 MKD 1,242

155.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$3.67 MKD 200

103.81%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.56 MKD 85.2

120.51%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.32 MKD 72.1

79.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.20 MKD 65.5

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.84 MKD 101

101.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.06 MKD 112

101.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.27 MKD 69.5

31.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.80 MKD 43.71

71.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.68 MKD 91.7

2.38%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.22 MKD 121

63.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.85 MKD 428

15.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.06 MKD 331

12.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$10.11 MKD 551

18.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$0.62 MKD 33.64

98.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.40 MKD 76.2

16.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.16 MKD 63.4

35.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.90 MKD 103

33.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.83 MKD 45.36

-4.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.83 MKD 45.02

-7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.60 MKD 32.66

45.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.56 MKD 30.51

76.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$2.74 MKD 150

130.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$5.29 MKD 289

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$0.94 MKD 51.1

26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.19 MKD 65.1

31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.76 MKD 41.61

13.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.06 MKD 57.7

-39.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.62 MKD 33.62

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$7.69 MKD 420

-16.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.62 MKD 88.2

20.99%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$35.0K MKD 1.9M

-17.16%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$27.0K MKD 1.5M

-1.36%

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

$196 RON 927

$150 MKD 8,164

30.88%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$12.60 MKD 687

-36.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$18.22 MKD 994

-48.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$20.21 MKD 1,102

148.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$7.38 MKD 403

10.43%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$361 MKD 19.7K

73.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$5,568 MKD 303.7K

152.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$84.2 MKD 4,590

6.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$37.11 MKD 2,025

3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$99.8 MKD 5,444

-20.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$89.6 MKD 4,889

0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$307 MKD 16.7K

121.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$233 MKD 12.7K

92.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$495 MKD 27.0K

119.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$294 MKD 16.1K

146.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,478 MKD 80.6K

153.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$969 MKD 52.9K

126.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$641 MKD 35.0K

107.33%

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 Strumica: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Strumica

$233 27.3% 48% $215

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Strumica

$82 9.6% 63.4% $143

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Strumica

$177 20.7% 21.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Strumica

$180 21.1% 15.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Strumica

$140 16.4% 4.4% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Strumica

$35 4.1% 47.4% $32

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Strumica

$7.2 * 0.8% 74.5% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $307 in Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 107% 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 $23.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $177 per month, with Strumica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇲🇰 Strumica

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

06:03 6:03 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

36,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Strumica 440 km

From you

Bucharest
Strumica

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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Strumica differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $855 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 107% 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 $307 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $855 in Strumica – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $855 in Strumica versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Strumica but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Strumica 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 Strumica 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 Strumica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.