Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fareham and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,504 in Fareham, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Fareham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,504
/mo nomad
Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,351
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,504 in Fareham versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

  • Fareham $2,504
  • Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,701 in Fareham versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

  • Fareham $3,701
  • Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,899 in Fareham versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

  • Fareham $4,899
  • Bucharest $2,715

Living in Fareham is roughly 85% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fareham 87% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.51 £20.03
$14.46 RON 68.4
83.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.0 £66.5
$57.7 RON 273
52.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 £8.42
$7.50 RON 35.46
48.53%
Cappuccino
$5.02 £3.80
$3.43 RON 16.20
46.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.27
$2.46 RON 11.63
22.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 £1.70
$2.33 RON 11.01
-3.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.82 £5.91
$3.80 RON 17.97
105.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.73 £5.09
$4.10 RON 19.41
64.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.65 RON 7.79
12.73%
White Bread (500g)
$1.65 £1.25
$1.35 RON 6.39
22.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 £1.59
$1.78 RON 8.42
18.54%
Eggs
$4.46 £3.37
$3.66 RON 17.33
21.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.78 £7.39
$8.57 RON 40.54
14.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 £6.77
$6.80 RON 32.17
31.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.94 £10.54
$11.72 RON 55.4
18.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.30
$1.29 RON 6.11
136.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 £1.26
$1.56 RON 7.37
7.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.84 £2.15
$1.54 RON 7.28
84.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.51 £2.66
$2.48 RON 11.75
41.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.76 £1.33
$0.83 RON 3.92
112.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.52 £1.15
$0.80 RON 3.77
90.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 £0.88
$0.84 RON 3.98
39.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 £1.25
$0.93 RON 4.39
77.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.18 £16.76
$6.44 RON 30.45
244.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.22 £8.48
$6.32 RON 29.91
77.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.96 £2.24
$1.26 RON 5.94
134.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 £2.46
$1.60 RON 7.59
103.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.20 £2.42
$0.81 RON 3.85
295.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$81.6 £61.7
$21.13 RON 99.9
286.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.26 £3.22
$0.60 RON 2.86
610.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.96 £1.48
$0.61 RON 2.91
221.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.15 £23.54
$6.17 RON 29.19
404.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 £1.62
$1.96 RON 9.27
9.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.3K
$28.1K RON 133.1K
37.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £31.1K
$26.3K RON 124.3K
56.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$287 £217
$197 RON 931
46.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.39 £12.39
$8.34 RON 39.44
96.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.22 £35.69
$9.19 RON 43.47
413.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.37 £34.28
$49.87 RON 236
-9.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.63 £24.65
$24.99 RON 118
30.57%
Cinema Ticket
$15.94 £12.04
$8.46 RON 40.01
88.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,559 £1,178
$639 RON 3,023
143.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.1K £13.7K
$14.4K RON 68.1K
25.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 £79.6
$90.6 RON 429
16.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.70 £33.78
$38.05 RON 180
17.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.2 £75.0
$79.7 RON 377
24.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.1 £68.8
$93.2 RON 441
-2.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,230 £929
$673 RON 3,184
82.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 £854
$449 RON 2,123
151.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,925 £1,454
$1,098 RON 5,195
75.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,742 £1,316
$729 RON 3,448
138.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,410 £3,333
$3,740 RON 17.7K
17.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,967 £2,998
$2,189 RON 10.4K
81.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fareham
Bucharest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,158 £2,387
$1,323 RON 6,259
138.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.96
6.74
-26.41%

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

Last update for Fareham: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fareham
$1.1K
Bucharest
$449 60.3% $681
Eating Out
Fareham
$379
Bucharest
$226 40.5% $154
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fareham
$351
Bucharest
$214 38.9% $137
Groceries & Markets
Fareham
$308
Bucharest
$222 28% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Fareham
$153
Bucharest
$136 11.4% $17
Getting Around
Fareham
$108
Bucharest
$28 74.1% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Fareham
$77
Bucharest
$67 13.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,230 in Fareham and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fareham pays 139% 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: $88.0 in Fareham vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $222 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Fareham
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🕒 Local time
12:45 12:45 PM
14:45 2:45 PM
2 h ahead of Fareham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
111,266
1,883,425 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fareham Bucharest 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fareham
  • 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
Fareham vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Fareham and in Bucharest?
Fareham and Bucharest differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($2,504 vs $1,351 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Fareham or Bucharest?
Average pay runs 139% higher in Fareham, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Fareham and in Bucharest?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,230 in Fareham versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Fareham or Bucharest?
All in, you'll spend $2,504 per month in Fareham versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Fareham and in Bucharest?
A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 286% less than in Fareham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,504 in Fareham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Fareham. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Fareham and Bucharest?
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.
Is Fareham or Bucharest safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Fareham 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.
Where should expats move: Fareham or Bucharest?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Fareham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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