Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,685 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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
133

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in The Hague

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,685 in The Hague.

Bucharest $1,351
The Hague $2,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $4,047 in The Hague.

Bucharest $2,033
The Hague $4,047

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $5,409 in The Hague.

Bucharest $2,715
The Hague $5,409

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 50% less than in The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 1% above, The Hague 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$22.22 €19.83

-34.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$89.9 €80.2

-35.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$15.31 €13.66

-51.01%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$4.32 €3.86

-20.60%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$4.26 €3.80

-42.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$4.19 €3.74

-44.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$7.14 €6.37

-46.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$7.81 €6.97

-47.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.49 €1.33

10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$2.28 €2.03

-40.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$2.53 €2.26

-29.64%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$4.55 €4.06

-19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$14.90 €13.30

-42.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$12.82 €11.44

-46.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$19.01 €16.97

-38.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$2.63 €2.35

-50.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$2.21 €1.97

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$2.05 €1.83

-24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$3.58 €3.20

-30.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$1.36 €1.22

-38.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.29 €1.15

-37.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.18 €1.06

-28.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.87 €0.78

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$14.60 €13.03

-55.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$5.81 €5.18

8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.29 €1.15

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.89 €1.69

-15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$4.43 €3.95

-81.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$93.7 €83.6

-77.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$4.62 €4.12

-87.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$3.44 €3.07

-82.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$34.21 €30.53

-81.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$2.63 €2.34

-25.48%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$41.2K €36.8K

-31.72%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$39.2K €35.0K

-32.95%

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

$197 RON 931

$280 €250

-29.71%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$28.43 €25.37

-70.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$54.2 €48.40

-83.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$50.2 €44.82

-0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$24.51 €21.87

1.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$17.03 €15.20

-50.32%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$2,418 €2,157

-73.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$11.9K €10.6K

21.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$93.3 €83.3

-2.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$43.31 €38.65

-12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$106 €94.5

-24.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$139 €124

-32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$1,666 €1,487

-59.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$1,300 €1,160

-65.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$2,799 €2,498

-60.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$2,275 €2,030

-67.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$6,156 €5,494

-39.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$4,536 €4,048

-51.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$4,034 €3,600

-67.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

3.4

98.24%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

The Hague

$1.3K 47.4% 190% $851

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

The Hague

$361 13.2% 59.8% $135

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

The Hague

$328 12% 48% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

The Hague

$363 13.2% 69.2% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

The Hague

$172 6.3% 26.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

The Hague

$84 3.1% 26.2% $18

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

The Hague

$133 4.9% 375% $105

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $1,666 in The Hague. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 205% 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 $90.0 in The Hague for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $328 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

11:21 11:21 AM

10:21 10:21 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

562,839

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest The Hague 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
The Hague

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 The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and The Hague differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $2,685 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 205% lower in The Hague. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Bucharest versus $1,666 in The Hague. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $2,685 in The Hague – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 343% less than in The Hague. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,685 in The Hague, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in The Hague. 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 The Hague 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 99% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.