Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Tetovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tetovo: $995 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Tetovo
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Tetovo Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Tetovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$995

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Tetovo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $995 in Tetovo.

Bucharest $1,340
Tetovo $995

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,498 in Tetovo.

Bucharest $2,037
Tetovo $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,001 in Tetovo.

Bucharest $2,734
Tetovo $2,001

Living in Bucharest is roughly 35% more expensive than in Tetovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Tetovo 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$7.35 MKD 401

97.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$27.44 MKD 1,497

111.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$5.84 MKD 319

28.08%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.49 MKD 81.4

130.87%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.48 MKD 80.7

60.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.92 MKD 50.4

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.16 MKD 118

71.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.20 MKD 120

89.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.25 MKD 68.2

33.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.63 MKD 34.44

117.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.30 MKD 71.0

32.31%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.12 MKD 116

71.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.23 MKD 394

25.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.34 MKD 291

28.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$10.05 MKD 548

19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.43 MKD 78.1

-13.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.45 MKD 79.2

12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.99 MKD 54.0

58.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$1.88 MKD 103

35.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.90 MKD 49.04

-12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.69 MKD 37.87

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.58 MKD 31.79

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.50 MKD 27.27

98.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$3.04 MKD 166

107.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$4.50 MKD 245

37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.01 MKD 55.1

17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.43 MKD 78.1

9.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.37 MKD 20.19

132.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$10.77 MKD 588

95.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.07 MKD 58.6

-40.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.56 MKD 30.35

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$7.71 MKD 421

-16.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.49 MKD 81.4

31.54%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$35.9K MKD 2.0M

-19.31%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$27.7K MKD 1.5M

-4.00%

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

$196 RON 927

$158 MKD 8,610

24.11%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$17.78 MKD 970

-54.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$18.94 MKD 1,033

-50.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$70.1 MKD 3,822

-28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$18.00 MKD 982

40.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$5.49 MKD 300

48.45%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$220 MKD 12.0K

185.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$2,152 MKD 117.4K

554.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$62.9 MKD 3,430

42.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$36.22 MKD 1,976

5.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$99.6 MKD 5,435

-20.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$112 MKD 6,104

-19.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$353 MKD 19.3K

92.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$275 MKD 15.0K

63.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$575 MKD 31.4K

88.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$489 MKD 26.7K

48.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,214 MKD 66.2K

209.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,079 MKD 58.8K

103.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$858 MKD 46.8K

54.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.75

80.00%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tetovo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Tetovo

$275 27.6% 38.7% $174

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Tetovo

$119 12% 47.1% $106

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Tetovo

$170 17.1% 24.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Tetovo

$195 19.6% 8.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Tetovo

$140 14.1% 4.4% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Tetovo

$81 8.2% 21.8% $15

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Tetovo

$16 1.6% 42.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $353 in Tetovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 55% 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 $27.00 in Tetovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $170 per month, with Tetovo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇲🇰 Tetovo

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

53,000

💱 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 →

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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 Tetovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Tetovo differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $995 including rent). Tetovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $353 in Tetovo. 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 $995 in Tetovo – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tetovo runs roughly 96% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $995 in Tetovo versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tetovo but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Tetovo 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.

Expats usually find Tetovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.