Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Craiova and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,212 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $34,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Craiova, Romania
London, United Kingdom
Craiova
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,212
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Craiova and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Craiova versus $4,048 in London.

  • Craiova $1,212
  • London $4,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,879 in Craiova versus $5,903 in London.

  • Craiova $1,879
  • London $5,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,545 in Craiova versus $7,758 in London.

  • Craiova $2,545
  • London $7,758

Living in Craiova costs roughly 70% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Craiova is 10% below, London is 199% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Craiova
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.36 RON 35.02
$26.36 £19.59
-72.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.34 RON 197
$109 £80.7
-61.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.28 RON 34.61
$10.71 £7.96
-32.03%
Cappuccino
$2.72 RON 12.94
$5.59 £4.15
-51.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 RON 10.45
$3.00 £2.23
-26.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 RON 8.68
$2.22 £1.65
-17.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.27 RON 10.82
$9.65 £7.17
-76.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 RON 16.36
$8.26 £6.14
-58.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Craiova
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 RON 6.02
$1.97 £1.46
-35.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.85 RON 4.04
$2.09 £1.55
-59.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 RON 6.59
$2.59 £1.93
-46.33%
Eggs
$3.35 RON 15.92
$5.37 £3.99
-37.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.13 RON 33.90
$13.12 £9.75
-45.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.53 RON 31.05
$11.03 £8.20
-40.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.45 RON 54.5
$17.73 £13.18
-35.42%
Apples (1kg)
$1.03 RON 4.88
$3.17 £2.36
-67.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 RON 6.87
$1.38 £1.03
4.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 RON 6.69
$2.82 £2.10
-50.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.73 RON 8.22
$3.36 £2.50
-48.51%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 RON 3.92
$1.70 £1.26
-51.76%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 RON 4.32
$1.78 £1.32
-48.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 RON 3.49
$1.49 £1.11
-51.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 RON 3.37
$1.82 £1.35
-60.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.47 RON 30.77
$23.85 £17.73
-72.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.12 RON 29.12
$13.44 £9.99
-54.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 RON 5.69
$3.11 £2.31
-61.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 RON 7.27
$4.49 £3.34
-65.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Craiova
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 RON 4.18
$4.13 £3.07
-78.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.43 RON 121
$266 £198
-90.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.66 RON 3.12
$5.98 £4.45
-88.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 RON 3.05
$3.39 £2.52
-81.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.47 RON 45.03
$56.6 £42.03
-83.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.89 RON 9.00
$2.21 £1.64
-14.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K RON 138.2K
$38.3K £28.4K
-24.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K RON 123.1K
$41.0K £30.5K
-36.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Craiova
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 RON 1,030
$372 £277
-41.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.47 RON 45.05
$18.66 £13.87
-49.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.42 RON 54.3
$40.53 £30.13
-71.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Craiova
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.05 RON 191
$56.0 £41.63
-28.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.95 RON 104
$17.10 £12.71
28.36%
Cinema Ticket
$7.54 RON 35.88
$17.95 £13.34
-57.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Craiova
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$415 RON 1,976
$2,946 £2,189
-85.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,038 RON 38.2K
$47.6K £35.4K
-83.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Craiova
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.6 RON 303
$116 £86.4
-45.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.8 RON 242
$56.9 £42.29
-10.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.5 RON 392
$128 £95.1
-35.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 RON 478
$154 £114
-34.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Craiova
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$530 RON 2,520
$2,935 £2,182
-81.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$412 RON 1,958
$2,258 £1,678
-81.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$903 RON 4,295
$5,250 £3,902
-82.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$849 RON 4,037
$3,859 £2,868
-78.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,701 RON 12.8K
$17.2K £12.8K
-84.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,973 RON 9,384
$8,278 £6,153
-76.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Craiova
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$956 RON 4,550
$5,621 £4,177
-82.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.84
4.78
43.10%

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

Last update for Craiova: November 2, 2026

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Craiova
$412
London
$2.3K 449% $1.8K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Craiova
$237
London
$432 81.8% $194
Groceries & Markets
Craiova
$193
London
$360 86.2% $167
Eating Out
Craiova
$148
London
$396 168% $248
Clothing & Footwear
Craiova
$134
London
$205 53% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Craiova
$55
London
$92 66.7% $37
Getting Around
Craiova
$33
London
$305 831% $273

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Craiova and $2,935 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays about 5.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $41 in Craiova vs $109 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $360 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Craiova
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
20:07 8:07 PM
18:07 6:07 PM
2 h behind Craiova
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
269,506
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Craiova London 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Craiova
  • London

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
Craiova vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Craiova or London?
Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Craiova or in London?
On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Craiova. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Craiova compared to London?
Rent for a central apartment: $530 in Craiova versus $2,935 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Craiova compared to London?
All in, you’ll spend $1,212 per month in Craiova versus $4,048 in London – Craiova is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Craiova compared to London?
A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 90% less than in London. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Craiova or in London?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Craiova is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Craiova or London?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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