Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumanovo and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumanovo: $793 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Kumanovo
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Kumanovo Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Kumanovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$793

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in Kumanovo versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Kumanovo $793
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,162 in Kumanovo versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Kumanovo $1,162
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Kumanovo versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Kumanovo $1,532
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Kumanovo costs roughly 41% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kumanovo 41% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 MKD 356

$14.49 RON 68.6

-54.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.26 MKD 1,487

$58.1 RON 275

-53.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 MKD 361

$7.48 RON 35.40

-11.63%

Cappuccino

$1.45 MKD 79.0

$3.44 RON 16.29

-57.85%

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

$1.40 MKD 76.2

$2.37 RON 11.22

-40.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 55.2

$2.30 RON 10.88

-56.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 MKD 85.1

$3.70 RON 17.51

-57.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 MKD 92.0

$4.16 RON 19.69

-59.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MKD 66.9

$1.67 RON 7.90

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MKD 40.01

$1.37 RON 6.50

-46.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MKD 96.4

$1.72 RON 8.14

2.91%

Eggs

$2.34 MKD 128

$3.64 RON 17.22

-35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 MKD 435

$9.08 RON 42.98

-12.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 MKD 413

$6.84 RON 32.35

10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 MKD 627

$12.00 RON 56.8

-4.25%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 MKD 51.2

$1.23 RON 5.80

-23.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 78.6

$1.63 RON 7.73

-11.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 71.4

$1.57 RON 7.45

-16.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 MKD 95.0

$2.54 RON 12.01

-31.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 MKD 46.29

$0.79 RON 3.75

7.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MKD 43.60

$0.77 RON 3.66

3.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 MKD 28.25

$0.87 RON 4.13

-40.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.11

$0.99 RON 4.70

-40.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 MKD 171

$6.31 RON 29.86

-50.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 MKD 389

$6.20 RON 29.34

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MKD 57.5

$1.19 RON 5.63

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MKD 57.0

$1.57 RON 7.45

-33.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MKD 61.0

$0.64 RON 3.05

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.68

$0.60 RON 2.86

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 MKD 312

$6.43 RON 30.43

-11.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MKD 79.0

$1.96 RON 9.25

-26.02%

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

$35.5K MKD 1.9M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

22.39%

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

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

1.75%

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

$128 MKD 6,956

$196 RON 927

-34.90%

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

$16.68 MKD 910

$8.04 RON 38.04

107.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 MKD 1,020

$9.35 RON 44.21

100.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.77 MKD 1,515

$50.2 RON 238

-44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 MKD 1,001

$25.33 RON 120

-27.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 MKD 301

$8.15 RON 38.55

-32.15%

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

$356 MKD 19.4K

$628 RON 2,971

-43.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,659 MKD 308.7K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-59.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 MKD 2,270

$89.6 RON 424

-53.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 MKD 1,080

$38.32 RON 181

-48.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 MKD 4,392

$79.3 RON 375

1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.21 MKD 2,685

$90.4 RON 428

-45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 MKD 13.1K

$678 RON 3,209

-64.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 MKD 10.7K

$448 RON 2,121

-56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MKD 22.4K

$1,083 RON 5,125

-62.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 MKD 13.4K

$725 RON 3,430

-65.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,610 MKD 87.8K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-57.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 MKD 78.2K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-34.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$554 MKD 30.2K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-58.35%

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 Kumanovo: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kumanovo

$196 24.7%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 129% $253

Groceries & Markets

Kumanovo

$194 24.5%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 15.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kumanovo

$163 20.6%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 30.9% $50

Eating Out

Kumanovo

$110 13.9%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 104% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Kumanovo

$86 10.9%

Bucharest

$134 10% 55.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Kumanovo

$39 4.9%

Bucharest

$67 5% 71.4% $28

Getting Around

Kumanovo

$4.2 * 0.5%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 570% $24

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 $241 in Kumanovo and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 140% 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: $27.00 in Kumanovo vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $225 per month, with Kumanovo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Kumanovo

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

16:53 4:53 PM

1 h ahead of Kumanovo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,051

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

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).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kumanovo Bucharest 440 km

From you

Kumanovo
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

Kumanovo vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kumanovo and Bucharest differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($793 vs $1,340 including rent). Kumanovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 140% 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: $241 in Kumanovo versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $793 per month in Kumanovo versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $793 in Kumanovo versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumanovo but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Kumanovo 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, Kumanovo 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 Kumanovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.