Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Tepelene

For one person, living is cheaper in Tepelene: $1,202 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bucharest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Tepelene
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Tepelene Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Tepelene

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Tepelene

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,202 in Tepelene.

Bucharest $1,340
Tepelene $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,841 in Tepelene.

Bucharest $2,037
Tepelene $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,479 in Tepelene.

Bucharest $2,734
Tepelene $2,479

Living in Bucharest is roughly 11% more expensive than in Tepelene, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Tepelene 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$9.74 ALL 785

48.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$54.6 ALL 4,397

6.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$11.17 ALL 900

-33.03%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.21 ALL 178

55.66%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.42 ALL 195

-2.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.30 ALL 104

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$3.43 ALL 277

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.94 ALL 317

5.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$2.20 ALL 177

-24.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.18 ALL 95.1

16.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$2.36 ALL 190

-27.12%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.78 ALL 304

-3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$12.64 ALL 1,018

-28.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$9.02 ALL 726

-24.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$16.68 ALL 1,343

-28.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.91 ALL 153

-35.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.46 ALL 198

-33.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.21 ALL 178

-28.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.90 ALL 153

33.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.01 ALL 81.7

-21.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.30 ALL 105

-40.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.50 ALL 120

-42.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.78 ALL 62.5

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$4.82 ALL 388

30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$10.46 ALL 842

-40.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.58 ALL 127

-24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.00 ALL 161

-21.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.52 ALL 42.09

65.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$22.05 ALL 1,776

-4.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$3.70 ALL 298

-82.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$3.57 ALL 288

-83.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$18.54 ALL 1,493

-65.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.40 ALL 193

-18.33%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$33.3K ALL 2.7M

-12.96%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$35.1K ALL 2.8M

-24.21%

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

$196 RON 927

$98.3 ALL 7,914

99.32%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$18.41 ALL 1,483

-56.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$19.77 ALL 1,592

-52.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$54.8 ALL 4,413

-8.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$9.62 ALL 775

-15.28%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$349 ALL 28.1K

79.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$8,343 ALL 671.8K

68.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$49.00 ALL 3,946

82.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$47.95 ALL 3,862

-20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$120 ALL 9,657

-33.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$112 ALL 9,039

-19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$475 ALL 38.3K

42.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$333 ALL 26.8K

34.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$692 ALL 55.7K

56.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$457 ALL 36.8K

58.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,806 ALL 145.4K

107.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,239 ALL 99.7K

77.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$664 ALL 53.5K

100.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.39

25.23%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tepelene: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Tepelene

$333 27.7% 25.8% $116

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Tepelene

$178 14.8% 21% $47

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Tepelene

$288 23.9% 27.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Tepelene

$136 11.4% 36% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Tepelene

$148 12.3% 10.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Tepelene

$74 6.2% 11.3% $7.5

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Tepelene

$46 3.8% 62% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $475 in Tepelene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 100% 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 $55.0 in Tepelene. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $288, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇦🇱 Tepelene

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

06:03 6:03 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, 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).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Bucharest Tepelene 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Tepelene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Tepelene differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,202 including rent). Tepelene is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% 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 $475 in Tepelene. 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 $1,202 in Tepelene – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tepelene runs roughly 5% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,202 in Tepelene versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tepelene but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Tepelene 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 Tepelene 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 Tepelene gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.