Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Windhoek

For one person, living is cheaper in Windhoek: $1,171 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Windhoek
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Windhoek Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Windhoek

🇳🇦 Namibia

$1,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Windhoek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,171 in Windhoek.

Bucharest $1,351
Windhoek $1,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $1,979 in Windhoek.

Bucharest $2,033
Windhoek $1,979

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $2,787 in Windhoek.

Bucharest $2,715
Windhoek $2,787

Living in Bucharest is roughly 15% more expensive than in Windhoek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Windhoek is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$11.46 NAD 189

26.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$63.0 NAD 1,040

-8.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$5.84 NAD 96.4

28.42%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$2.35 NAD 38.73

45.96%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$0.87 NAD 14.32

182.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.87 NAD 14.41

167.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$1.98 NAD 32.67

91.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$2.12 NAD 34.95

93.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.53 NAD 25.27

7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$0.95 NAD 15.62

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$1.93 NAD 31.81

-7.77%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$3.17 NAD 52.3

15.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$9.47 NAD 156

-9.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$6.63 NAD 109

2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$7.60 NAD 125

54.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$2.15 NAD 35.47

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$1.89 NAD 31.21

-17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$1.88 NAD 31.07

-18.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$1.98 NAD 32.61

25.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$2.00 NAD 33.07

-58.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.82 NAD 30.00

-56.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.95 NAD 32.14

-56.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$1.07 NAD 17.64

-13.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$3.32 NAD 54.8

93.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$6.78 NAD 112

-6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.41 NAD 23.19

-10.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.42 NAD 23.47

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.74 NAD 12.25

9.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$48.69 NAD 803

-56.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.82 NAD 13.50

-26.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.87 NAD 14.34

-29.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$15.56 NAD 257

-60.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.34 NAD 22.10

46.27%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$24.3K NAD 400.3K

16.04%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$27.1K NAD 447.1K

-2.98%

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

$197 RON 931

$139 NAD 2,287

42.05%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$25.91 NAD 428

-67.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$51.4 NAD 847

-82.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$37.58 NAD 620

32.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$10.56 NAD 174

136.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$5.32 NAD 87.7

59.02%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$209 NAD 3,445

206.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$5,376 NAD 88.7K

167.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$53.9 NAD 890

68.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$33.95 NAD 560

12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$91.0 NAD 1,501

-12.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$95.4 NAD 1,574

-2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$492 NAD 8,120

36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$357 NAD 5,885

25.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$1,138 NAD 18.8K

-3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$868 NAD 14.3K

-16.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$1,615 NAD 26.6K

131.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$601 NAD 9,922

264.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$989 NAD 16.3K

33.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

11.42

-40.98%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Windhoek: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Windhoek

$357 30.2% 20.5% $92

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Windhoek

$159 13.4% 29.8% $67

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Windhoek

$223 18.8% 0.5% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Windhoek

$216 18.3% 0.7% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Windhoek

$123 10.4% 9.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Windhoek

$48 4.1% 27.8% $19

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Windhoek

$57 4.8% 103% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $492 in Windhoek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 34% 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 $63.0 in Windhoek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $223 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇳🇦 Windhoek

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

07:22 7:22 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

322,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Namibian Dollar NAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 NAD = 6.06 USD

100 NAD = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NAD, 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).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 NAD (100 NAD = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Windhoek 7,500 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Windhoek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Windhoek differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $1,171 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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 $492 in Windhoek. 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 $1,171 in Windhoek – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Windhoek runs roughly 130% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,171 in Windhoek versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Windhoek but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Windhoek 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 Windhoek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.