Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lancy and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $3,280 in Lancy, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lancy, Switzerland
Bucharest, Romania
Lancy
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,280
/mo nomad
Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,337
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,280 in Lancy versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

  • Lancy $3,280
  • Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,151 in Lancy versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

  • Lancy $5,151
  • Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,023 in Lancy versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

  • Lancy $7,023
  • Bucharest $2,721

Living in Lancy is roughly 145% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.74 CHF 23.69
$14.45 RON 69.0
98.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$124 CHF 102
$58.1 RON 277
113.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.64 CHF 12.89
$7.53 RON 35.97
107.70%
Cappuccino
$6.32 CHF 5.21
$3.45 RON 16.48
83.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 CHF 3.76
$2.46 RON 11.76
85.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.01 CHF 3.30
$2.23 RON 10.64
79.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.28 CHF 7.65
$3.76 RON 17.94
146.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.72 CHF 6.36
$4.19 RON 20.02
84.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.23 CHF 1.84
$1.62 RON 7.74
37.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.90 CHF 2.39
$1.30 RON 6.18
123.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.13 CHF 2.58
$1.70 RON 8.12
84.12%
Eggs
$7.57 CHF 6.24
$3.79 RON 18.09
99.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.10 CHF 19.86
$8.86 RON 42.28
172.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$29.41 CHF 24.24
$6.90 RON 32.96
326.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$39.04 CHF 32.17
$12.14 RON 57.9
221.58%
Apples (1kg)
$3.54 CHF 2.92
$1.30 RON 6.22
172.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 CHF 1.36
$1.60 RON 7.62
3.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.74 CHF 2.26
$1.57 RON 7.49
74.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.76 CHF 3.92
$2.68 RON 12.78
77.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 CHF 1.30
$0.81 RON 3.86
95.06%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 CHF 1.69
$0.79 RON 3.76
159.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 CHF 1.82
$0.91 RON 4.33
142.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 CHF 1.12
$0.97 RON 4.62
39.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.84 CHF 8.93
$6.41 RON 30.61
69.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.17 CHF 10.03
$6.18 RON 29.50
96.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 CHF 1.79
$1.23 RON 5.89
76.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CHF 2.40
$1.67 RON 7.98
74.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 CHF 3.21
$0.87 RON 4.14
348.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.7 CHF 78.0
$20.98 RON 100
351.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.73 CHF 6.37
$0.66 RON 3.13
1071.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.78 CHF 3.12
$0.60 RON 2.88
530.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$64.6 CHF 53.2
$6.19 RON 29.54
942.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 CHF 1.92
$1.93 RON 9.23
20.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K CHF 32.0K
$28.7K RON 137.2K
34.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K CHF 32.6K
$26.3K RON 125.7K
50.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$276 CHF 227
$196 RON 934
41.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.82 CHF 22.93
$8.49 RON 40.55
227.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.1 CHF 45.44
$9.05 RON 43.23
509.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$90.5 CHF 74.6
$49.54 RON 237
82.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$46.39 CHF 38.23
$25.03 RON 120
85.34%
Cinema Ticket
$24.28 CHF 20.01
$8.24 RON 39.36
194.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,430 CHF 2,003
$636 RON 3,034
282.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.3K CHF 25.0K
$14.6K RON 69.6K
108.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$135 CHF 111
$88.5 RON 423
52.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.0 CHF 50.3
$38.77 RON 185
57.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$158 CHF 130
$78.8 RON 376
100.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$188 CHF 155
$90.6 RON 432
107.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,798 CHF 1,481
$695 RON 3,317
158.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,384 CHF 1,141
$446 RON 2,128
210.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,926 CHF 2,411
$1,084 RON 5,177
169.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,610 CHF 2,151
$712 RON 3,399
266.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.9K CHF 14.7K
$3,797 RON 18.1K
371.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.4K CHF 9,370
$2,202 RON 10.5K
416.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lancy
Bucharest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,354 RON 6,464
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.98
6.75
-70.67%

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

Last update for Lancy: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lancy
$1.4K
Bucharest
$446 67.8% $939
Groceries & Markets
Lancy
$568
Bucharest
$225 60.3% $342
Eating Out
Lancy
$449
Bucharest
$226 49.7% $223
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lancy
$359
Bucharest
$213 40.6% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Lancy
$244
Bucharest
$133 45.2% $110
Sport & Entertainment
Lancy
$139
Bucharest
$66 52.5% $73
Getting Around
Lancy
$137
Bucharest
$28 79.5% $109

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,798 in Lancy and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $124 in Lancy vs $58 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $568 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Lancy
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🕒 Local time
09:14 9:14 AM
10:14 10:14 AM
1 h ahead of Lancy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,919
1,883,425 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.925 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.36 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lancy Bucharest 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lancy
  • 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
Lancy vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lancy and in Bucharest?
Lancy and Bucharest differ by about 145% in total monthly costs ($3,280 vs $1,337 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 Lancy compared to Bucharest?
You’d need roughly $4,919 in Lancy and $2,006 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 Lancy and in Bucharest?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,798 in Lancy versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lancy or Bucharest?
All in, you’ll spend $3,280 per month in Lancy versus $1,337 in Bucharest – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Lancy and in Bucharest?
A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 78% less than in Lancy. 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 $1,337 in Bucharest versus $3,280 in Lancy, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Lancy. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lancy 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: Lancy or Bucharest?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Lancy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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