Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiruna and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $1,747 in Kiruna, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Kiruna
Learn more

Kiruna Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

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Kiruna

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,747

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,747 in Kiruna versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

Kiruna $1,747
Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,915 in Kiruna versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

Kiruna $2,915
Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,082 in Kiruna versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

Kiruna $4,082
Bucharest $2,721

Living in Kiruna is roughly 31% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kiruna is 29% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.82 SEK 137

$14.45 RON 68.4

-4.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 SEK 1,270

$58.1 RON 275

120.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 SEK 103

$7.53 RON 35.65

38.11%

Cappuccino

$4.33 SEK 42.90

$3.45 RON 16.33

25.51%

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

$2.69 SEK 26.70

$2.46 RON 11.65

9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 22.37

$2.23 RON 10.54

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.54 SEK 94.5

$3.76 RON 17.78

153.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 SEK 65.3

$4.19 RON 19.84

57.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SEK 14.34

$1.62 RON 7.67

-10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 SEK 27.79

$1.30 RON 6.13

115.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 SEK 36.83

$1.70 RON 8.05

118.82%

Eggs

$3.55 SEK 35.18

$3.79 RON 17.93

-6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 SEK 122

$8.86 RON 41.90

38.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.80 SEK 137

$6.90 RON 32.67

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.62 SEK 194

$12.14 RON 57.4

61.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 SEK 27.66

$1.30 RON 6.17

114.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 SEK 25.12

$1.60 RON 7.55

58.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 SEK 25.90

$1.57 RON 7.42

66.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 SEK 43.63

$2.68 RON 12.67

64.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.58

$0.81 RON 3.82

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.77

$0.79 RON 3.73

101.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 SEK 19.93

$0.91 RON 4.30

120.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.46

$0.97 RON 4.58

60.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 SEK 64.0

$6.41 RON 30.34

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 SEK 96.1

$6.18 RON 29.24

56.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SEK 19.65

$1.23 RON 5.83

60.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SEK 19.75

$1.67 RON 7.91

19.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 SEK 31.95

$0.87 RON 4.10

270.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.4 SEK 787

$20.98 RON 99.3

278.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 SEK 57.9

$0.66 RON 3.10

786.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 SEK 16.68

$0.60 RON 2.85

180.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 SEK 563

$6.19 RON 29.28

818.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 SEK 20.90

$1.93 RON 9.15

9.33%

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

$31.3K SEK 310.1K

$28.7K RON 135.9K

8.94%

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

$33.3K SEK 329.6K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

26.33%

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

$95.9 SEK 951

$196 RON 926

-50.96%

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

$24.86 SEK 246

$8.49 RON 40.19

192.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.94 SEK 356

$9.05 RON 42.84

297.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 SEK 374

$49.54 RON 234

-23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 SEK 248

$25.03 RON 118

0.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 SEK 158

$8.24 RON 39.01

93.20%

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

$152 SEK 1,506

$636 RON 3,007

-76.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,610 SEK 55.6K

$14.6K RON 69.0K

-61.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 SEK 993

$88.5 RON 419

13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.87 SEK 445

$38.77 RON 183

15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 SEK 810

$78.8 RON 373

3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 SEK 1,378

$90.6 RON 428

53.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 SEK 8,047

$695 RON 3,288

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SEK 6,043

$446 RON 2,109

36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 SEK 13.5K

$1,084 RON 5,130

25.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 SEK 11.1K

$712 RON 3,368

57.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,456 SEK 34.2K

$3,797 RON 18.0K

-8.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,527 SEK 25.0K

$2,202 RON 10.4K

14.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,257 SEK 32.3K

$1,354 RON 6,406

140.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-40.74%

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

Last update for Kiruna: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kiruna

$610 34.9%

Bucharest

$446 33.3% 26.9% $164

Groceries & Markets

Kiruna

$366 20.9%

Bucharest

$225 16.9% 38.3% $140

Eating Out

Kiruna

$274 15.7%

Bucharest

$226 16.9% 17.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Kiruna

$165 9.4%

Bucharest

$133 10% 19% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kiruna

$157 9%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 36% $56

Getting Around

Kiruna

$107 6.1%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 73.6% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Kiruna

$70 4%

Bucharest

$66 4.9% 5.1% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $812 in Kiruna and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kiruna pays 141% 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: $128 in Kiruna vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Kiruna

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

22:08 10:08 PM

1 h ahead of Kiruna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,454

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kiruna Bucharest 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kiruna
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

Kiruna vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiruna and Bucharest differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,747 vs $1,337 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 141% higher in Kiruna, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $812 in Kiruna versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,747 per month in Kiruna versus $1,337 in Bucharest – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 278% less than in Kiruna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $1,747 in Kiruna, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Kiruna. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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, Kiruna 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Kiruna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.