Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Varamin

For one person, living is cheaper in Varamin: $567 a month against $1,371 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Varamin
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Varamin Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Varamin

🇮🇷 Iran

$567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Varamin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Bucharest versus $567 in Varamin.

Bucharest $1,371
Varamin $567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Bucharest versus $893 in Varamin.

Bucharest $2,067
Varamin $893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,764 in Bucharest versus $1,218 in Varamin.

Bucharest $2,764
Varamin $1,218

Living in Bucharest is roughly 142% more expensive than in Varamin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 RON 69.0

$3.52 $3.52

312.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 RON 291

$15.73 $15.73

289.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 RON 35.48

$4.07 $4.07

83.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

Cappuccino

$3.64 RON 17.31

$1.31 $1.31

177.86%

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

$2.62 RON 12.43

$0.49 $0.49

434.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.23

$1.66 $1.66

42.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 RON 17.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 RON 19.53

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.89

$0.65 $0.65

155.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 RON 6.64

$0.57 $0.57

145.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.53

$3.34 $3.34

-46.41%

Eggs

$3.63 RON 17.25

$1.23 $1.23

195.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 RON 42.39

$4.44 $4.44

100.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 RON 32.63

$3.36 $3.36

104.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 RON 57.0

$10.18 $10.18

17.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$1.38 $1.38

-5.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.76

$1.93 $1.93

-15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.09

$1.20 $1.20

24.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.09

$0.68 $0.68

273.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.86

$0.55 $0.55

47.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$0.51 $0.51

56.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 4.07

$0.53 $0.53

62.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$0.28 $0.28

235.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 RON 31.39

$2.44 $2.44

170.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 30.09

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 RON 7.53

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RON 4.64

$0.16 $0.16

512.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 RON 99.4

$9.84 $9.84

112.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.51 $0.51

17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$0.29 $0.29

113.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.26

$2.94 $2.94

116.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 RON 9.62

$0.08 $0.08

2425.00%

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

$28.2K RON 134.0K

$49.7K $49.7K

-43.29%

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

$26.3K RON 124.9K

$46.2K $46.2K

-43.13%

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

$196 RON 932

$13.19 $13.19

1387.34%

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

$8.60 RON 40.85

$1.54 $1.54

458.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 RON 43.71

$3.82 $3.82

140.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 RON 243

$18.34 $18.34

178.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 RON 119

$13.21 $13.21

89.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 RON 39.28

$2.03 $2.03

306.90%

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

$681 RON 3,235

$106 $106

541.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K RON 89.1K

$2,626 $2,626

613.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 RON 444

$26.29 $26.29

254.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 RON 189

$37.94 $37.94

5.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 RON 381

$115 $115

-30.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 431

$73.2 $73.2

23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 RON 3,474

$287 $287

154.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 RON 2,233

$209 $209

124.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 RON 5,278

$788 $788

40.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 RON 3,432

$350 $350

106.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 RON 17.8K

$1,138 $1,138

229.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 RON 10.6K

$546 $546

309.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 RON 6,489

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

24.79

-72.77%

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

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Last update for Varamin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$470 34.3%

Varamin

$209 36.9% 55.4% $260

Eating Out

Bucharest

$229 16.7%

Varamin

$65 11.4% 71.7% $164

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.4%

Varamin

$126 22.2% 44% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 15.6%

Varamin

$19 3.3% 91.3% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$137 10%

Varamin

$114 20% 17% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$68 4.9%

Varamin

$22 4% 66.8% $45

Getting Around

Bucharest

$29 2.1%

Varamin

$12 2.2% 56.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $731 in Bucharest and $287 in Varamin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Bucharest vs $16 in Varamin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $126 per month, with Varamin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇷 Varamin

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

22:06 10:06 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

225,628

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Varamin 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Varamin

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 Varamin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,371 in Bucharest and $567 in Varamin, so Varamin is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,056 in Bucharest and $851 in Varamin 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $731 in Bucharest versus $287 in Varamin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,371 per month in Bucharest versus $567 in Varamin – Varamin is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Varamin runs roughly 53% less than in Bucharest. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $567 in Varamin versus $1,371 in Bucharest, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Varamin but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Varamin 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 Varamin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.