Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeuwarden and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $2,569 in Leeuwarden, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
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Leeuwarden Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,569

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,569 in Leeuwarden versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Leeuwarden $2,569
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,793 in Leeuwarden versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Leeuwarden $3,793
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,018 in Leeuwarden versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Leeuwarden $5,018
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Leeuwarden is roughly 92% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Leeuwarden is 90% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.90 €19.48

$14.49 RON 68.6

51.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €101

$58.1 RON 275

95.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.35 €13.66

$7.48 RON 35.40

105.21%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.42

$3.44 RON 16.29

11.92%

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

$3.64 €3.24

$2.37 RON 11.22

53.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.61

$2.30 RON 10.88

27.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.99

$3.70 RON 17.51

81.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.66

$4.16 RON 19.69

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.67 RON 7.90

-29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.37 RON 6.50

35.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.72 RON 8.14

40.70%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.79

$3.64 RON 17.22

17.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €11.19

$9.08 RON 42.98

38.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.26 €12.69

$6.84 RON 32.35

108.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 €14.02

$12.00 RON 56.8

31.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.23 RON 5.80

86.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$1.63 RON 7.73

52.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.57 RON 7.45

21.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 €4.55

$2.54 RON 12.01

101.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$0.79 RON 3.75

122.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$0.77 RON 3.66

148.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.87 RON 4.13

34.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.99 RON 4.70

-2.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.98 €12.44

$6.31 RON 29.86

121.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.40

$6.20 RON 29.34

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.19 RON 5.63

55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.57 RON 7.45

10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 €3.02

$0.86 RON 4.08

295.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 €114

$21.10 RON 99.8

510.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 €7.83

$0.64 RON 3.05

1276.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.83 €3.41

$0.60 RON 2.86

538.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.76 €44.27

$6.43 RON 30.43

673.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.96 RON 9.25

25.00%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

43.93%

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

$39.2K €34.9K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

47.22%

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

$365 €325

$196 RON 927

86.53%

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

$43.62 €38.80

$8.04 RON 38.04

442.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.88 €40.81

$9.35 RON 44.21

390.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 €33.01

$50.2 RON 238

-26.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 €16.34

$25.33 RON 120

-27.48%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 €14.93

$8.15 RON 38.55

106.01%

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

$1,330 €1,183

$628 RON 2,971

111.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.2K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

61.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €101

$89.6 RON 424

26.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.36 €35.01

$38.32 RON 181

2.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 €115

$79.3 RON 375

63.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €120

$90.4 RON 428

48.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 €1,228

$678 RON 3,209

103.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €909

$448 RON 2,121

127.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,779 €3,361

$1,083 RON 5,125

248.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 €1,407

$725 RON 3,430

118.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,620 €3,220

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-3.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,276 €2,914

$2,195 RON 10.4K

49.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,004 €2,672

$1,329 RON 6,290

125.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

6.75

-35.11%

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

Last update for Leeuwarden: 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

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.8%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 56.1% $574

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leeuwarden

$455 17.7%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 53.1% $242

Eating Out

Leeuwarden

$338 13.2%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 33.4% $113

Groceries & Markets

Leeuwarden

$325 12.7%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 30.9% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Leeuwarden

$188 7.3%

Bucharest

$134 10% 28.6% $54

Getting Around

Leeuwarden

$170 6.6%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 83.4% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Leeuwarden

$71 2.8%

Bucharest

$67 5% 5.9% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,380 in Leeuwarden and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leeuwarden pays 126% 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: $113 in Leeuwarden vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

10:37 10:37 AM

1 h ahead of Leeuwarden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,992

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 = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Leeuwarden Bucharest 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Leeuwarden
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

Leeuwarden vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leeuwarden and Bucharest differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($2,569 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Leeuwarden, 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: $1,380 in Leeuwarden versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,569 per month in Leeuwarden versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 510% less than in Leeuwarden. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $2,569 in Leeuwarden, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Leeuwarden. 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, Leeuwarden 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 92% less than in Leeuwarden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.