Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $2,548 in Carlow, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
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Carlow Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carlow and in Bucharest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Carlow and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Carlow versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

Carlow $2,548
Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,814 in Carlow versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

Carlow $3,814
Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,081 in Carlow versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

Carlow $5,081
Bucharest $2,721

Living in Carlow is roughly 90% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlow is 88% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.01 €18.69

$14.45 RON 68.4

45.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.7

$58.1 RON 275

56.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 €11.65

$7.53 RON 35.65

73.97%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.78

$3.45 RON 16.33

23.19%

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

$2.67 €2.37

$2.46 RON 11.65

8.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$2.23 RON 10.54

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.59

$3.76 RON 17.78

97.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$4.19 RON 19.84

56.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.62 RON 7.67

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.30 RON 6.13

53.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$1.70 RON 8.05

12.35%

Eggs

$4.35 €3.87

$3.79 RON 17.93

14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.98

$8.86 RON 41.90

52.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 €11.39

$6.90 RON 32.67

85.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 €12.84

$12.14 RON 57.4

18.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$1.30 RON 6.17

145.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$1.60 RON 7.55

87.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 €2.96

$1.57 RON 7.42

112.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.92

$2.68 RON 12.67

22.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$0.81 RON 3.82

192.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$0.79 RON 3.73

122.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.91 RON 4.30

58.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.97 RON 4.58

37.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.84 €16.76

$6.41 RON 30.34

193.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 €12.04

$6.18 RON 29.24

118.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$1.23 RON 5.83

247.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$1.67 RON 7.91

105.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.87 RON 4.10

43.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 €4.55

$0.66 RON 3.10

674.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.60 RON 2.85

156.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.43 €28.85

$6.19 RON 29.28

423.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.93 RON 9.15

8.29%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

$28.7K RON 135.9K

34.47%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

44.77%

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

$243 €216

$196 RON 926

24.18%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$8.49 RON 40.19

162.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 €50.2

$9.05 RON 42.84

523.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.8 €70.1

$49.54 RON 234

59.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.1 €49.93

$25.03 RON 118

124.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 €12.09

$8.24 RON 39.01

64.93%

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

$1,052 €936

$636 RON 3,007

65.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,449 €4,847

$14.6K RON 69.0K

-62.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.8

$88.5 RON 419

7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.63 €37.92

$38.77 RON 183

9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.8

$78.8 RON 373

28.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.3

$90.6 RON 428

12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 €1,282

$695 RON 3,288

107.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,121

$446 RON 2,109

182.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,310

$1,084 RON 5,130

139.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 €1,914

$712 RON 3,368

202.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,664 €5,038

$3,797 RON 18.0K

49.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,675 €5,937

$2,202 RON 10.4K

203.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,351 €2,091

$1,354 RON 6,406

73.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-40.74%

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

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5%

Bucharest

$446 33.3% 64.6% $815

Groceries & Markets

Carlow

$361 14.2%

Bucharest

$225 16.9% 37.5% $135

Eating Out

Carlow

$328 12.9%

Bucharest

$226 16.9% 31.3% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlow

$322 12.6%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 33.7% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Carlow

$153 6%

Bucharest

$133 10% 12.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Carlow

$106 4.2%

Bucharest

$66 4.9% 37.7% $40

Getting Around

Carlow

$18 * 0.7%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 57.9% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,441 in Carlow and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlow pays 74% 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: $91.0 in Carlow vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Carlow

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

23:17 11:17 PM

01:17 1:17 AM

2 h ahead of Carlow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,351

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Carlow Bucharest 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Carlow
Bucharest

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

Carlow vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlow and Bucharest differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,548 vs $1,337 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Carlow, 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: $1,441 in Carlow versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Carlow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,548 per month in Carlow versus $1,337 in Bucharest – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $2,548 in Carlow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Carlow. 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, Carlow and Bucharest 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 90% less than in Carlow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.