Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Vellore

For one person, living is cheaper in Vellore: $259 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
13

Cost of Living Index in Vellore
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Vellore Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Vellore

🇮🇳 India

$259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Vellore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $259 in Vellore.

Bucharest $1,340
Vellore $259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $447 in Vellore.

Bucharest $2,037
Vellore $447

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $636 in Vellore.

Bucharest $2,734
Vellore $636

Living in Bucharest is roughly 418% more expensive than in Vellore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Vellore 81% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$1.28 ₹122

1032.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$6.99 ₹664

731.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$2.08 ₹197

259.62%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.01 ₹191

71.14%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$0.36 ₹34.03

558.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$0.14 ₹13.16

1542.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$1.54 ₹146

140.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.05 ₹290

36.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.48 ₹45.41

247.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.55 ₹52.2

149.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$0.60 ₹57.0

186.67%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$0.78 ₹73.8

366.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$1.93 ₹184

370.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$2.31 ₹219

196.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.60 ₹152

-23.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$0.72 ₹68.3

126.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.89 ₹84.8

76.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.29 ₹27.89

775.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.30 ₹28.15

163.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.38 ₹36.22

102.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.30 ₹28.04

190.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.26 ₹24.49

280.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$1.60 ₹152

294.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$3.83 ₹364

61.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.63 ₹155

-26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.56 ₹243

-38.67%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.98 ₹473

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.24 ₹22.86

258.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$5.09 ₹484

314.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.45 ₹42.48

42.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.30 ₹28.49

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$1.06 ₹100

506.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.10 ₹104

78.18%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$9,959 ₹945.7K

191.18%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$14.7K ₹1.4M

80.66%

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

$196 RON 927

$30.22 ₹2,869

548.21%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$4.15 ₹394

93.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$4.18 ₹397

123.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$8.39 ₹796

498.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$4.79 ₹454

428.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$2.43 ₹231

235.39%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$48.80 ₹4,634

1186.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$1,394 ₹132.4K

910.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$8.47 ₹805

957.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$19.02 ₹1,806

101.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$21.40 ₹2,033

270.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$25.27 ₹2,399

257.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$57.1 ₹5,421

1088.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$31.86 ₹3,026

1307.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$169 ₹16.1K

539.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$160 ₹15.1K

354.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,099 ₹104.3K

241.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$678 ₹64.4K

223.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$310 ₹29.4K

329.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.5

3.85%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vellore: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Vellore

$32 12.3% 92.9% $416

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Vellore

$56 21.8% 75% $169

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Vellore

$77 29.9% 65.6% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Vellore

$39 14.9% 81.9% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Vellore

$33 12.9% 75.1% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Vellore

$13 5.1% 80.1% $53

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Vellore

$8 3.1% 71.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $57.1 in Vellore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 329% 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 $7.00 in Vellore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $77.0 per month, with Vellore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Vellore

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

01:39 1:39 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

186,000

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Vellore 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Vellore

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 Vellore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Vellore differ by about 418% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $259 including rent). Vellore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 329% 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 $57.1 in Vellore. 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 $259 in Vellore – a 418% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Vellore runs roughly 315% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $259 in Vellore versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vellore but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Vellore 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 Vellore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 418% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.