Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Zărnești

For one person, living is cheaper in Zărnești: $889 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Zărnești
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Zărnești Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Zărnești

🇷🇴 Romania

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Zărnești

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $889 in Zărnești.

Bucharest $1,337
Zărnești $889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $1,383 in Zărnești.

Bucharest $2,029
Zărnești $1,383

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $1,877 in Zărnești.

Bucharest $2,721
Zărnești $1,877

Living in Bucharest is roughly 50% more expensive than in Zărnești, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Zărnești 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$9.00 RON 42.60

60.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$42.40 RON 201

36.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$8.36 RON 39.57

-9.93%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$2.18 RON 10.34

58.26%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$1.46 RON 6.90

68.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$1.20 RON 5.66

85.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$1.90 RON 9.00

97.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$2.28 RON 10.79

83.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$1.27 RON 6.02

27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$1.07 RON 5.06

21.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.44 RON 6.81

18.06%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$2.79 RON 13.20

35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$7.89 RON 37.33

12.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$4.74 RON 22.42

45.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$10.40 RON 49.21

16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$0.93 RON 4.41

39.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.33 RON 6.30

20.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$1.27 RON 6.02

23.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$1.28 RON 6.06

109.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$0.78 RON 3.67

3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$0.52 RON 2.45

51.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$0.80 RON 3.80

13.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.77 RON 3.63

25.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$5.15 RON 24.37

24.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$7.42 RON 35.09

-16.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.07 RON 5.08

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.29 RON 6.12

29.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$0.70 RON 3.32

24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$21.32 RON 101

-1.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$0.88 RON 4.15

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$0.86 RON 4.05

-30.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$7.45 RON 35.26

-16.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$1.51 RON 7.16

27.81%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$28.5K RON 134.9K

0.77%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$26.0K RON 122.9K

1.36%

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

$196 RON 926

$99.0 RON 468

97.70%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$9.28 RON 43.89

-8.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$8.00 RON 37.86

13.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$37.82 RON 179

30.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$19.41 RON 91.9

28.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$6.24 RON 29.55

32.05%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$429 RON 2,031

48.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$7,733 RON 36.6K

88.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$44.43 RON 210

99.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$27.26 RON 129

42.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$68.9 RON 326

14.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$76.8 RON 363

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$434 RON 2,054

60.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$266 RON 1,258

67.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$576 RON 2,727

88.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$424 RON 2,008

67.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$1,751 RON 8,283

116.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$1,329 RON 6,288

65.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

$510 RON 2,415

165.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.47

-9.64%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Zărnești

$266 29.9% 40.3% $180

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Zărnești

$148 16.7% 34.4% $77

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Zărnești

$182 20.4% 19.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Zărnești

$116 13.1% 45.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Zărnești

$98 11% 26.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Zărnești

$50 5.7% 23.8% $16

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Zărnești

$29 3.3% 4.1% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $434 in Zărnești. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 165% 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 $42.00 in Zărnești for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $182 per month, with Zărnești cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Zărnești

🕒 Local time

02:18 2:18 AM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

24,926

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Zărnești differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $889 including rent). Zărnești is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 165% 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: $695 in Bucharest versus $434 in Zărnești. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $889 in Zărnești – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zărnești runs roughly 2% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $889 in Zărnești versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zărnești but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Zărnești 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 Zărnești 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 Zărnești gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.