Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Girona and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,844 in Girona, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Girona
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,844
/mo nomad
Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,340
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Girona versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

  • Girona $1,844
  • Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,700 in Girona versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

  • Girona $2,700
  • Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,555 in Girona versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

  • Girona $3,555
  • Bucharest $2,734

Living in Girona is roughly 38% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Girona is 37% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.88 €15.91
$14.49 RON 68.6
23.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 €54.5
$58.1 RON 275
5.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.86 €7.88
$7.48 RON 35.40
18.45%
Cappuccino
$2.48 €2.21
$3.44 RON 16.29
-27.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.37 RON 11.22
-11.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.77
$2.30 RON 10.88
-13.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.18 €3.72
$3.70 RON 17.51
12.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 €3.86
$4.16 RON 19.69
4.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.12
$1.67 RON 7.90
-25.15%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.37 RON 6.50
-14.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 €1.24
$1.72 RON 8.14
-18.60%
Eggs
$2.99 €2.66
$3.64 RON 17.22
-17.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 €9.76
$9.08 RON 42.98
20.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.02 €7.14
$6.84 RON 32.35
17.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.78 €13.15
$12.00 RON 56.8
23.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.41 €2.14
$1.23 RON 5.80
95.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.63 RON 7.73
26.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.57 RON 7.45
36.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 €2.26
$2.54 RON 12.01
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.60 €1.43
$0.79 RON 3.75
102.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.78
$0.77 RON 3.66
159.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.16
$0.87 RON 4.13
50.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 €0.56
$0.99 RON 4.70
-36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.85 €6.09
$6.31 RON 29.86
8.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.61 €5.88
$6.20 RON 29.34
6.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.19 RON 5.63
42.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 €1.60
$1.57 RON 7.45
14.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.85 €1.64
$0.86 RON 4.08
115.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.60 €31.66
$21.10 RON 99.8
68.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.69 €2.39
$0.64 RON 3.05
320.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.85 €1.65
$0.60 RON 2.86
208.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.08 €19.64
$6.43 RON 30.43
243.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.96 RON 9.25
-8.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K €30.7K
$29.0K RON 137.2K
18.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K €26.8K
$26.6K RON 126.0K
13.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$127 €113
$196 RON 927
-35.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.73 €21.11
$8.04 RON 38.04
195.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.06 €30.29
$9.35 RON 44.21
264.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.1 €46.37
$50.2 RON 238
3.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.24 €19.79
$25.33 RON 120
-12.20%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 €8.18
$8.15 RON 38.55
12.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$670 €596
$628 RON 2,971
6.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,374 €8,338
$14.1K RON 66.6K
-33.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.7 €67.3
$89.6 RON 424
-15.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.35 €38.56
$38.32 RON 181
13.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.6 €70.8
$79.3 RON 375
0.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €107
$90.4 RON 428
32.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,232 €1,096
$678 RON 3,209
81.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$893 €794
$448 RON 2,121
99.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,065 €1,837
$1,083 RON 5,125
90.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,348 €1,199
$725 RON 3,430
85.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,150 €4,581
$3,751 RON 17.7K
37.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,686 €3,278
$2,195 RON 10.4K
67.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Girona
Bucharest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,786 €1,589
$1,329 RON 6,290
34.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.02
6.75
-55.26%

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

Last update for Girona: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Girona
$893
Bucharest
$448 49.8% $445
Groceries & Markets
Girona
$252
Bucharest
$225 10.6% $27
Eating Out
Girona
$245
Bucharest
$225 8.2% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Girona
$185
Bucharest
$213 15.2% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Girona
$143
Bucharest
$134 6.6% $9.4
Sport & Entertainment
Girona
$71
Bucharest
$67 5.7% $4
Getting Around
Girona
$55
Bucharest
$28 48.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,232 in Girona and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Girona pays 34% 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: $61.0 in Girona vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Girona
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🕒 Local time
14:07 2:07 PM
15:07 3:07 PM
1 h ahead of Girona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
104,320
1,883,425 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Girona Bucharest 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Girona
  • 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
Girona vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Girona and in Bucharest?
Girona and Bucharest differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,844 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Girona or Bucharest?
Average pay runs 34% higher in Girona, 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 Girona and in Bucharest?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,232 in Girona versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Girona or Bucharest?
All in, you'll spend $1,844 per month in Girona versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Girona and in Bucharest?
A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 69% less than in Girona. 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 $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,844 in Girona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Girona. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Girona 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 Girona or Bucharest safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Girona 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: Girona or Bucharest?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Girona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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