Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Vasteras

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,818 in Vasteras, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Vasteras
Learn more

Vasteras Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Vasteras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Vasteras

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,818 in Vasteras.

Bucharest $1,340
Vasteras $1,818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,764 in Vasteras.

Bucharest $2,037
Vasteras $2,764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,710 in Vasteras.

Bucharest $2,734
Vasteras $3,710

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 26% less than in Vasteras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Vasteras is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$13.70 SEK 136

5.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$64.6 SEK 640

-10.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$9.91 SEK 98.2

-24.52%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$4.23 SEK 41.92

-18.68%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.25 SEK 22.27

5.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$2.22 SEK 21.97

3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$7.15 SEK 70.8

-48.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$7.08 SEK 70.2

-41.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.40 SEK 13.87

19.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$3.00 SEK 29.70

-54.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$3.57 SEK 35.37

-51.82%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.89 SEK 38.55

-6.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$12.11 SEK 120

-25.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$12.74 SEK 126

-46.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$22.30 SEK 221

-46.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$3.19 SEK 31.59

-61.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.53 SEK 25.05

-35.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.67 SEK 36.37

-57.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$4.39 SEK 43.46

-42.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$1.47 SEK 14.55

-46.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-54.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$2.18 SEK 21.62

-60.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$1.49 SEK 14.73

-33.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$7.08 SEK 70.2

-10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$13.30 SEK 132

-53.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.32 SEK 13.10

-9.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.17 SEK 21.54

-27.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$3.32 SEK 32.88

-74.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$70.7 SEK 700

-70.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$3.51 SEK 34.78

-81.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$2.50 SEK 24.78

-76.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$81.0 SEK 802

-92.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.66 SEK 16.49

18.07%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$33.2K SEK 328.6K

-12.57%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$32.0K SEK 317.5K

-16.86%

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

$196 RON 927

$183 SEK 1,817

6.81%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$22.17 SEK 220

-63.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$43.15 SEK 428

-78.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$34.14 SEK 338

47.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$19.65 SEK 195

28.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$16.74 SEK 166

-51.31%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$151 SEK 1,499

315.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$4,881 SEK 48.4K

188.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$101 SEK 1,002

-11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$40.24 SEK 399

-4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$86.7 SEK 859

-8.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$134 SEK 1,323

-32.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$750 SEK 7,429

-9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$601 SEK 5,957

-25.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,366 SEK 13.5K

-20.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$997 SEK 9,880

-27.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$3,564 SEK 35.3K

5.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,404 SEK 23.8K

-8.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$2,996 SEK 29.7K

-55.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.53

91.22%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Vasteras

$601 33.1% 34.1% $153

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Vasteras

$258 14.2% 14.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Vasteras

$380 20.9% 69% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Vasteras

$249 13.7% 16.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Vasteras

$163 9% 21.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Vasteras

$68 3.7% 1.6% $1.1

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Vasteras

$100 5.5% 254% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $750 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 125% 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 $65.0 in Vasteras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $380 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇸🇪 Vasteras

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

110,877

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Vasteras 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Vasteras

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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Vasteras differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,818 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 125% lower in Vasteras. 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $750 in Vasteras. 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 $1,818 in Vasteras – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 235% less than in Vasteras. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,818 in Vasteras, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Vasteras. 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 Vasteras 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 36% less than in Vasteras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.