Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Vijayawada

For one person, living is cheaper in Vijayawada: $393 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Vijayawada
Learn more

Vijayawada Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Vijayawada

🇮🇳 India

$393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Vijayawada

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $393 in Vijayawada.

Bucharest $1,351
Vijayawada $393

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $640 in Vijayawada.

Bucharest $2,033
Vijayawada $640

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $886 in Vijayawada.

Bucharest $2,715
Vijayawada $886

Living in Bucharest is roughly 244% more expensive than in Vijayawada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Vijayawada is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$1.53 ₹148

845.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$8.63 ₹835

568.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$4.40 ₹426

70.45%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$3.67 ₹355

-6.54%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.38 ₹36.44

547.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.12 ₹11.67

1841.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$1.82 ₹177

108.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$2.24 ₹217

83.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$0.80 ₹77.9

106.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$0.49 ₹47.27

175.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$0.61 ₹59.4

191.80%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$0.80 ₹77.9

357.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$6.50 ₹629

31.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$2.44 ₹236

178.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$1.78 ₹172

-27.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$0.72 ₹70.1

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$0.75 ₹72.5

105.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$0.43 ₹41.74

476.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.40 ₹39.09

107.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$0.45 ₹43.18

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$0.60 ₹58.4

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.30 ₹29.31

210.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$5.02 ₹486

28.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$7.11 ₹688

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.89 ₹183

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$3.11 ₹301

-48.55%

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

$3.26 ₹315

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.29 ₹28.02

179.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$6.82 ₹660

209.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.53 ₹148

-60.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.45 ₹43.86

35.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$2.09 ₹202

195.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.11 ₹108

76.58%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$15.5K ₹1.5M

82.15%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$20.8K ₹2.0M

26.68%

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

$197 RON 931

$31.73 ₹3,070

520.39%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$3.11 ₹301

168.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$7.74 ₹749

18.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$15.83 ₹1,532

215.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$10.85 ₹1,050

130.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$3.06 ₹297

176.47%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$66.1 ₹6,397

867.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$1,931 ₹186.9K

645.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$17.87 ₹1,730

406.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$18.34 ₹1,775

107.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$38.00 ₹3,677

109.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$35.01 ₹3,388

166.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$127 ₹12.3K

430.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$78.1 ₹7,555

475.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$288 ₹27.8K

281.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$204 ₹19.8K

256.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$672 ₹65.0K

456.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$391 ₹37.9K

459.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$301 ₹29.1K

339.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

10.2

-33.92%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Vijayawada: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Vijayawada

$78 19.8% 82.6% $371

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Vijayawada

$85 21.5% 62.3% $141

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Vijayawada

$107 27% 51.9% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Vijayawada

$43 10.8% 80.1% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Vijayawada

$49 12.4% 63.8% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Vijayawada

$22 5.6% 67.1% $45

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Vijayawada

$12 3% 58.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $127 in Vijayawada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 340% 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 $9.00 in Vijayawada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $107 per month, with Vijayawada cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇮🇳 Vijayawada

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

15:31 3:31 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

1,048,240

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Vijayawada 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Vijayawada

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 Vijayawada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Vijayawada differ by about 244% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $393 including rent). Vijayawada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 340% 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $127 in Vijayawada. 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 $393 in Vijayawada – a 244% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Vijayawada runs roughly 210% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $393 in Vijayawada versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vijayawada but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Vijayawada 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 Vijayawada 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 Vijayawada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 244% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.