Cost of Living Comparison Between Chitila and Bucharest Cost of Living Comparison Between Chitila and Bucharest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,139 in Chitila versus $1,336 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Chitila versus $2,162 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,451 in Chitila versus $2,988 in Bucharest.

Living in Chitila costs roughly 15% less than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chitila is 15% below, Bucharest is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.05 RON 63.5

$13.58 RON 61.4

3.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 RON 312

$68.1 RON 308

1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 RON 37.43

$8.05 RON 36.38

2.86%

Cappuccino

$3.37 RON 15.23

$3.40 RON 15.36

-0.88%

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

$1.89 RON 8.55

$2.32 RON 10.50

-18.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 6.10

$2.38 RON 10.74

-43.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 RON 10.12

$3.54 RON 15.99

-36.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 RON 14.24

$4.01 RON 18.14

-21.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 RON 7.88

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 5.86

$1.42 RON 6.42

-8.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 RON 8.58

$1.93 RON 8.73

-1.55%

Eggs

$3.16 RON 14.29

$3.54 RON 15.99

-10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 RON 42.65

$9.27 RON 41.90

1.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 RON 30.59

$7.13 RON 32.21

-5.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 RON 52.5

$12.28 RON 55.5

-5.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 RON 6.34

$1.35 RON 6.11

3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.09

$1.74 RON 7.86

2.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 RON 8.14

$1.76 RON 7.98

2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 RON 10.83

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 RON 4.49

$1.05 RON 4.72

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 RON 4.29

$0.96 RON 4.35

-1.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 RON 4.23

$0.92 RON 4.15

2.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.21

$0.91 RON 4.09

2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 RON 28.91

$6.38 RON 28.82

0.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 RON 30.53

$6.45 RON 29.16

4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.95

$1.22 RON 5.51

-10.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 RON 8.45

$1.98 RON 8.95

-5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.24

$1.16 RON 5.27

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 RON 89.8

$19.48 RON 88.0

1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 RON 3.24

$0.72 RON 3.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.75

$0.62 RON 2.79

-1.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 RON 30.76

$6.94 RON 31.35

-2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 7.64

$1.71 RON 7.75

-1.17%

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

$27.6K RON 124.7K

$29.0K RON 131.0K

-4.77%

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

$27.7K RON 125.0K

$30.3K RON 137.0K

-8.72%

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

$184 RON 830

$178 RON 803

3.29%

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

$9.07 RON 40.99

$9.16 RON 41.40

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.21 RON 50.7

$11.12 RON 50.3

0.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.93 RON 185

$54.7 RON 247

-25.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 RON 85.1

$29.04 RON 131

-35.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 RON 36.56

$9.27 RON 41.92

-12.73%

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

$553 RON 2,500

$677 RON 3,060

-18.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,429 RON 38.1K

$14.9K RON 67.2K

-43.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 RON 360

$79.8 RON 361

-0.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 RON 296

$45.29 RON 205

44.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 RON 401

$89.2 RON 403

-0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 RON 420

$109 RON 493

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 RON 1,786

$662 RON 2,992

-40.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 RON 1,301

$432 RON 1,953

-33.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 RON 2,672

$1,355 RON 6,126

-56.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 RON 1,965

$841 RON 3,802

-48.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,807 RON 8,169

$3,857 RON 17.4K

-53.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,388 RON 6,274

$2,305 RON 10.4K

-39.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$875 RON 3,956

$1,463 RON 6,615

-40.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

7.1

-4.51%

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

Last update for Chitila: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $395 in Chitila and $662 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 67% 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: $69.0 in Chitila vs $68.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $233, with Chitila cheaper for home cooking.

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

Chitila vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chitila and Bucharest differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,139 vs $1,336 including rent). Chitila is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bucharest earns 67% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $395 in Chitila versus $662 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,139 per month in Chitila versus $1,336 in Bucharest – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $1,139 in Chitila versus $1,336 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chitila but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Chitila 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 Chitila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.