Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamrun and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,670 in Hamrun, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hamrun
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,670
/mo nomad
Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,340
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,670 in Hamrun versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

  • Hamrun $1,670
  • Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,558 in Hamrun versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

  • Hamrun $2,558
  • Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,445 in Hamrun versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

  • Hamrun $3,445
  • Bucharest $2,734

Living in Hamrun is roughly 25% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamrun is 24% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.76 €11.35
$14.49 RON 68.6
-11.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7 €49.50
$58.1 RON 275
-4.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.69 €7.73
$7.48 RON 35.40
16.18%
Cappuccino
$1.99 €1.77
$3.44 RON 16.29
-42.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.78
$2.37 RON 11.22
-15.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.21
$2.30 RON 10.88
-40.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.91 €1.70
$3.70 RON 17.51
-48.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$4.16 RON 19.69
-45.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.67 RON 7.90
-23.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.37 RON 6.50
-3.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.26 €3.79
$1.72 RON 8.14
147.67%
Eggs
$4.36 €3.87
$3.64 RON 17.22
19.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.38 €7.45
$9.08 RON 42.98
-7.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.25 €9.12
$6.84 RON 32.35
49.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.10 €16.10
$12.00 RON 56.8
50.83%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 €3.60
$1.23 RON 5.80
229.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.71 €2.41
$1.63 RON 7.73
66.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.54 €3.15
$1.57 RON 7.45
125.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.43 €3.05
$2.54 RON 12.01
35.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.42 €2.15
$0.79 RON 3.75
206.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 €1.74
$0.77 RON 3.66
154.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.87 RON 4.13
159.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.20
$0.99 RON 4.70
36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.85
$6.31 RON 29.86
4.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.91 €7.03
$6.20 RON 29.34
27.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.19 RON 5.63
46.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 €2.14
$1.57 RON 7.45
53.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.47 €2.20
$0.86 RON 4.08
187.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$21.10 RON 99.8
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.54 €4.92
$0.64 RON 3.05
765.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.29 €2.03
$0.60 RON 2.86
281.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.03 €24.04
$6.43 RON 30.43
320.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.96 RON 9.25
-22.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.4K €33.3K
$29.0K RON 137.2K
29.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.2K
$26.6K RON 126.0K
44.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$101 €89.7
$196 RON 927
-48.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.10 €22.33
$8.04 RON 38.04
212.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.69 €24.63
$9.35 RON 44.21
196.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 €54.4
$50.2 RON 238
21.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.33 RON 120
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.86 €8.77
$8.15 RON 38.55
20.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$363 €323
$628 RON 2,971
-42.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K €10.0K
$14.1K RON 66.6K
-19.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.6 €78.8
$89.6 RON 424
-1.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.07 €36.53
$38.32 RON 181
7.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$79.3 RON 375
26.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.0 €69.4
$90.4 RON 428
-13.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$834 €742
$678 RON 3,209
22.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$767 €682
$448 RON 2,121
70.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,564 €1,391
$1,083 RON 5,125
44.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,333 €1,186
$725 RON 3,430
83.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,965 €3,527
$3,751 RON 17.7K
5.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,772 €2,466
$2,195 RON 10.4K
26.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamrun
Bucharest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,329 RON 6,290
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
6.75
-57.04%

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

Last update for Hamrun: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hamrun
$767
Bucharest
$448 41.5% $318
Groceries & Markets
Hamrun
$325
Bucharest
$225 30.7% $100
Eating Out
Hamrun
$180
Bucharest
$225 25.4% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamrun
$154
Bucharest
$213 38.8% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Hamrun
$138
Bucharest
$134 3.3% $4.5
Sport & Entertainment
Hamrun
$81
Bucharest
$67 17.8% $14
Getting Around
Hamrun
$27 *
Bucharest
$28 5.1% $1.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $834 in Hamrun and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Hamrun vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $225, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Hamrun
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🕒 Local time
16:37 4:37 PM
17:37 5:37 PM
1 h ahead of Hamrun
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,000
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
  • Hamrun Bucharest 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamrun
  • 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
Hamrun vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Hamrun and in Bucharest?
Hamrun and Bucharest differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,670 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Hamrun compared to Bucharest?
You'd need roughly $2,506 in Hamrun and $2,011 in Bucharest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Hamrun and in Bucharest?
Rent for a central apartment: $834 in Hamrun versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Hamrun. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Hamrun or Bucharest?
All in, you'll spend $1,670 per month in Hamrun versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,670 in Hamrun, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Hamrun. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Hamrun 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 Hamrun or Bucharest safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Hamrun 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: Hamrun or Bucharest?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Hamrun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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