Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $2,667 in Hastings, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hastings
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,667
/mo nomad
Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,340
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,667 in Hastings versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

  • Hastings $2,667
  • Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,558 in Hastings versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

  • Hastings $3,558
  • Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Hastings versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

  • Hastings $4,449
  • Bucharest $2,734

Living in Hastings is roughly 99% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hastings is 98% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.82 £18.62
$14.49 RON 68.6
71.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.3 £60.3
$58.1 RON 275
38.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.28 £8.46
$7.48 RON 35.40
50.80%
Cappuccino
$4.43 £3.33
$3.44 RON 16.29
28.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 £2.22
$2.37 RON 11.22
24.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 £1.01
$2.30 RON 10.88
-41.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.78 £5.09
$3.70 RON 17.51
83.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.78 £5.08
$4.16 RON 19.69
62.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.72 £0.54
$1.67 RON 7.90
-56.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 £1.29
$1.37 RON 6.50
24.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.62 £1.96
$1.72 RON 8.14
52.33%
Eggs
$3.19 £2.40
$3.64 RON 17.22
-12.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.70 £7.28
$9.08 RON 42.98
6.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.68 £7.26
$6.84 RON 32.35
41.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.27 £9.96
$12.00 RON 56.8
10.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.82 £2.12
$1.23 RON 5.80
129.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$1.63 RON 7.73
6.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 £2.17
$1.57 RON 7.45
84.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.42 £2.57
$2.54 RON 12.01
34.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 £1.38
$0.79 RON 3.75
132.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 £1.16
$0.77 RON 3.66
100.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 £0.90
$0.87 RON 4.13
37.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 £1.32
$0.99 RON 4.70
76.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.49 £13.12
$6.31 RON 29.86
177.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.75 £5.07
$6.20 RON 29.34
8.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.88 £2.16
$1.19 RON 5.63
142.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 £2.54
$1.57 RON 7.45
115.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.50 £2.63
$0.86 RON 4.08
306.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.9 £71.9
$21.10 RON 99.8
354.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.35 £3.26
$0.64 RON 3.05
579.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 £0.82
$0.60 RON 2.86
81.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.53 £23.65
$6.43 RON 30.43
390.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 £1.47
$1.96 RON 9.25
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.1K
$29.0K RON 137.2K
33.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K £30.1K
$26.6K RON 126.0K
50.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$324 £243
$196 RON 927
65.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.77 £14.83
$8.04 RON 38.04
145.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.7 £40.27
$9.35 RON 44.21
474.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.83 £33.63
$50.2 RON 238
-10.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.33 RON 120
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.81 £11.86
$8.15 RON 38.55
93.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,572 £1,180
$628 RON 2,971
150.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.5K £13.1K
$14.1K RON 66.6K
24.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 £78.0
$89.6 RON 424
16.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.9 £38.92
$38.32 RON 181
35.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £76.9
$79.3 RON 375
29.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 £100
$90.4 RON 428
47.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,465 £1,099
$678 RON 3,209
115.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,259 £945
$448 RON 2,121
180.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,071 £1,553
$1,083 RON 5,125
91.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,464 £1,098
$725 RON 3,430
101.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,994 £3,747
$3,751 RON 17.7K
33.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,809 £2,857
$2,195 RON 10.4K
73.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hastings
Bucharest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,279 £2,460
$1,329 RON 6,290
146.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.96
6.75
-26.52%

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

Last update for Hastings: 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
Hastings
$1.3K
Bucharest
$448 64.4% $811
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hastings
$397
Bucharest
$213 46.3% $184
Eating Out
Hastings
$350
Bucharest
$225 35.7% $125
Groceries & Markets
Hastings
$287
Bucharest
$225 21.7% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Hastings
$176
Bucharest
$134 24.1% $42
Getting Around
Hastings
$120
Bucharest
$28 76.4% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Hastings
$76
Bucharest
$67 13% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,465 in Hastings and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 147% 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: $80.0 in Hastings vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Hastings
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🕒 Local time
20:30 8:30 PM
22:30 10:30 PM
2 h ahead of Hastings
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,855
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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Hastings Bucharest 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hastings
  • 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
Hastings vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Hastings and in Bucharest?
Hastings and Bucharest differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,667 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: Hastings or Bucharest?
Average pay runs 147% higher in Hastings, 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 Hastings and in Bucharest?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,465 in Hastings 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: Hastings or Bucharest?
All in, you'll spend $2,667 per month in Hastings versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Hastings and in Bucharest?
A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 354% less than in Hastings. 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 $2,667 in Hastings, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Hastings. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Hastings 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.
Where should expats move: Hastings or Bucharest?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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