Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herceg Novi and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Herceg Novi: $1,237 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bucharest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Herceg Novi
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Herceg Novi Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Herceg Novi

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,237

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,237 in Herceg Novi versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Herceg Novi $1,237
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,973 in Herceg Novi versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Herceg Novi $1,973
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Herceg Novi versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Herceg Novi $2,710
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Herceg Novi costs roughly 8% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Herceg Novi is 8% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.23 €10.02

$14.46 RON 68.4

-22.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.34 €32.43

$57.7 RON 273

-36.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 €8.20

$7.50 RON 35.46

22.53%

Cappuccino

$2.59 €2.31

$3.43 RON 16.20

-24.49%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.46 RON 11.63

0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.33 RON 11.01

-29.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.52

$3.80 RON 17.97

-25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.02

$4.10 RON 19.41

-17.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.65 RON 7.79

-29.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.35 RON 6.39

-24.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.52

$1.78 RON 8.42

58.43%

Eggs

$3.03 €2.70

$3.66 RON 17.33

-17.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 €7.98

$8.57 RON 40.54

4.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 €6.48

$6.80 RON 32.17

6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 €11.43

$11.72 RON 55.4

9.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.29 RON 6.11

3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.56 RON 7.37

-0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.54 RON 7.28

2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 €2.70

$2.48 RON 11.75

21.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.83 RON 3.92

7.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.80 RON 3.77

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$0.84 RON 3.98

80.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.93 RON 4.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 €3.55

$6.44 RON 30.45

-38.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.43 €3.96

$6.32 RON 29.91

-29.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.26 RON 5.94

-1.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.60 RON 7.59

7.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.81 RON 3.85

108.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.08 €40.23

$21.13 RON 99.9

113.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 €2.60

$0.60 RON 2.86

385.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.61 RON 2.91

78.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 €14.81

$6.17 RON 29.19

168.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.96 RON 9.27

-12.24%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.0K €29.5K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

17.39%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.9K €18.7K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

-20.38%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$131 €117

$197 RON 931

-33.20%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.86 €11.48

$8.34 RON 39.44

54.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.38 €29.79

$9.19 RON 43.47

263.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €49.71

$49.87 RON 236

11.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.00 €9.81

$24.99 RON 118

-55.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 €7.14

$8.46 RON 40.01

-5.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$443 €395

$639 RON 3,023

-30.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,028 €6,272

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-51.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €73.7

$90.6 RON 429

-8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.95 €30.30

$38.05 RON 180

-10.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 €65.9

$79.7 RON 377

-7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 €84.4

$93.2 RON 441

1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 €587

$673 RON 3,184

-2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 €353

$449 RON 2,123

-12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,100

$1,098 RON 5,195

12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$886 €791

$729 RON 3,448

21.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,642 €3,250

$3,740 RON 17.7K

-2.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,415 €2,155

$2,189 RON 10.4K

10.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 €926

$1,323 RON 6,259

-21.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

-25.82%

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

Last update for Herceg Novi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Herceg Novi

$395 31.8%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 13.6% $54

Groceries & Markets

Herceg Novi

$225 18.1%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 1.6% $3.6

Eating Out

Herceg Novi

$186 14.9%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 21.4% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herceg Novi

$178 14.3%

Bucharest

$214 16% 20.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Herceg Novi

$128 10.3%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 5.8% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Herceg Novi

$72 5.8%

Bucharest

$67 5% 6.8% $4.9

Getting Around

Herceg Novi

$60 4.8%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 53.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Herceg Novi and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 28% 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: $36.00 in Herceg Novi vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $222, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Herceg Novi

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

08:17 8:17 AM

1 h ahead of Herceg Novi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,059

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Herceg Novi Bucharest 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Herceg Novi
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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

Herceg Novi vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Herceg Novi and Bucharest differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,237 vs $1,351 including rent). Herceg Novi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Bucharest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $657 in Herceg Novi versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,237 per month in Herceg Novi versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Herceg Novi runs roughly 113% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,237 in Herceg Novi versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Herceg Novi but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Herceg Novi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Herceg Novi 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.

Expats usually find Herceg Novi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.