Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Sumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumba: $213 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Sumba

🇫🇴 Faroe Islands

$213

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Sumba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $213 in Sumba.

Bucharest $1,351
Sumba $213

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $285 in Sumba.

Bucharest $2,033
Sumba $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $357 in Sumba.

Bucharest $2,715
Sumba $357

Living in Bucharest is roughly 535% more expensive than in Sumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Sumba is 84% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$2.32 FOK 15.52

-28.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$10.63 FOK 71.0

-39.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$12.06 FOK 80.6

-47.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$2.26 FOK 15.13

-44.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.84 FOK 12.31

-13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$4.51 FOK 30.10

-82.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.92 FOK 12.86

2.08%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

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

$197 RON 931

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$61.9 FOK 414

-85.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$37.94 FOK 253

31.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$15.51 FOK 104

-45.45%

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sumba: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Sumba

–

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Sumba

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Sumba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Sumba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Sumba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Sumba

–

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Sumba

–

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇫🇴 Sumba

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

11:24 11:24 AM

2 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

300

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Faroese Króna FOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1 FOK = 0.15 USD

1 FOK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FOK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Faroese Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 FOK (1 FOK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 FOK (1 FOK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Sumba 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Sumba

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 Sumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Sumba differ by about 535% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $213 including rent). Sumba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,027 in Bucharest and $319 in Sumba 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 256% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $213 in Sumba – a 535% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $213 in Sumba versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sumba but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Sumba 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 Sumba 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 Sumba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 535% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.