Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castel and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,406 in Castel, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castel outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Castel

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,406

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castel 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 Castel and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,406 in Castel versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Castel $2,406
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,787 in Castel versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Castel $3,787
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,167 in Castel versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Castel $5,167
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Castel is roughly 78% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Castel 80% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$39.85 GGP 30.16

$14.46 RON 68.4

175.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 GGP 60.9

$57.7 RON 273

39.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

Cappuccino

$5.05 GGP 3.82

$3.43 RON 16.20

47.23%

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

$3.23 GGP 2.45

$2.46 RON 11.63

31.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 GGP 2.98

$2.33 RON 11.01

68.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 GGP 3.27

$3.80 RON 17.97

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 GGP 4.94

$4.10 RON 19.41

59.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 GGP 1.47

$1.65 RON 7.79

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 GGP 1.65

$1.96 RON 9.27

11.22%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

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

$197 RON 931

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

$26.18 GGP 19.82

$8.34 RON 39.44

213.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 GGP 50.9

$9.19 RON 43.47

632.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 GGP 1,503

$673 RON 3,184

194.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 GGP 1,396

$449 RON 2,123

310.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,012 GGP 3,037

$1,098 RON 5,195

265.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,740 GGP 2,831

$729 RON 3,448

413.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

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

Last update for Castel: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castel

–

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Eating Out

Castel

–

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Groceries & Markets

Castel

–

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castel

–

Bucharest

$214 16%

Clothing & Footwear

Castel

–

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Castel

–

Bucharest

$67 5%

Getting Around

Castel

–

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,986 in Castel and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Castel vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $19.00 vs $222, with Castel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇬 Castel

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

2 h ahead of Castel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Guernsey Pound GGP £

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 GGP = 1.32 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to GGP – Guernsey Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇬 Guernsey Pound (£)

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 GGP (1 GGP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 GGP (1 GGP = 1.18 EUR).

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).

USD to GGP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Castel Bucharest 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Castel
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

Castel vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castel and Bucharest differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,406 vs $1,351 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,609 in Castel and $2,027 in Bucharest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,986 in Castel versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bucharest – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $80.0 in Castel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,406 per month in Castel versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,406 in Castel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Castel. 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, Castel 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 78% less than in Castel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.