Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Centurion and Bucharest

For one person, living costs are similar in Centurion and in Bucharest: $1,377 and $1,340 a month, rent and utilities included.

67

Cost of Living Index in Centurion
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Centurion Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Centurion

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,377

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,377 in Centurion versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Centurion $1,377
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,224 in Centurion versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Centurion $2,224
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,071 in Centurion versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Centurion $3,071
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Centurion is roughly 3% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Centurion is 2% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.13 R 365

$14.49 RON 68.6

52.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.73 R 671

$58.1 RON 275

-29.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 95.0

$7.48 RON 35.40

-22.99%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R 42.33

$3.44 RON 16.29

-25.29%

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

$0.94 R 15.52

$2.37 RON 11.22

-60.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.35

$2.30 RON 10.88

-62.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 R 34.57

$3.70 RON 17.51

-43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.42

$4.16 RON 19.69

-41.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.27

$1.67 RON 7.90

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 R 20.11

$1.37 RON 6.50

-10.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.83

$1.72 RON 8.14

26.16%

Eggs

$3.07 R 50.6

$3.64 RON 17.22

-15.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 R 161

$9.08 RON 42.98

7.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

$6.84 RON 32.35

1.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 R 120

$12.00 RON 56.8

-39.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.92

$1.23 RON 5.80

47.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.64

$1.63 RON 7.73

10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.88

$1.57 RON 7.45

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.20

$2.54 RON 12.01

-18.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.98

$0.79 RON 3.75

92.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.44

$0.77 RON 3.66

140.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.24

$0.87 RON 4.13

55.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 R 23.99

$0.99 RON 4.70

47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 R 62.1

$6.31 RON 29.86

-40.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 R 97.1

$6.20 RON 29.34

-4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 R 26.20

$1.19 RON 5.63

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R 33.27

$1.57 RON 7.45

28.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 R 40.75

$0.86 RON 4.08

187.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 R 1,613

$21.10 RON 99.8

364.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R 20.14

$0.64 RON 3.05

90.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 R 20.20

$0.60 RON 2.86

105.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.89 R 146

$6.43 RON 30.43

38.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.75

$1.96 RON 9.25

-23.47%

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

$35.9K R 591.7K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

23.84%

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

$32.1K R 528.7K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

20.47%

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

$137 R 2,260

$196 RON 927

-29.96%

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

$30.65 R 505

$8.04 RON 38.04

281.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.07 R 660

$9.35 RON 44.21

328.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.79 R 721

$50.2 RON 238

-12.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$10.73 R 177

$8.15 RON 38.55

31.66%

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

$314 R 5,174

$628 RON 2,971

-49.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,299 R 70.8K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-69.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 R 965

$89.6 RON 424

-34.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 R 721

$38.32 RON 181

14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 R 1,925

$79.3 RON 375

47.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 R 1,699

$90.4 RON 428

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 R 5,689

$678 RON 3,209

-49.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 R 6,115

$448 RON 2,121

-17.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 R 9,479

$1,083 RON 5,125

-46.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 R 14.8K

$725 RON 3,430

23.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$518 R 8,536

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-86.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 R 10.1K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-72.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,342 R 38.6K

$1,329 RON 6,290

76.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

6.75

55.56%

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

Last update for Centurion: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Centurion

$371 27%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 20.8% $77

Eating Out

Centurion

$248 18%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 9.1% $23

Groceries & Markets

Centurion

$225 16.3%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Centurion

$208 15.1%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 2.6% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Centurion

$145 10.5%

Bucharest

$134 10% 7.7% $11

Getting Around

Centurion

$115 8.4%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 75.5% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Centurion

$65 4.7%

Bucharest

$67 5% 2% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Centurion and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 76% 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: $41.00 in Centurion vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $225 per month, with Centurion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Centurion

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

1 h ahead of Centurion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

236,580

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Centurion Bucharest 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Centurion
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

Centurion vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Centurion and Bucharest differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,377 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% higher in Centurion, 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: $345 in Centurion versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,377 per month in Centurion versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 364% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,377 in Centurion, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Centurion. 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, Centurion 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 3% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.