Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $924 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $37,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London, United Kingdom
Bacau, Romania
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Bacau
🇷🇴 Romania
$924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Bacau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in London and in Bacau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,048 per month in London vs $924 in Bacau, rent included.

  • London $4,048
  • Bacau $924

A couple spends around $5,903 per month in London vs $1,556 in Bacau, rent included.

  • London $5,903
  • Bacau $1,556

A family of three spends $7,758 per month in London vs $2,189 in Bacau, rent included.

  • London $7,758
  • Bacau $2,189

London costs about 338% more than Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

London sits 199% above the global median, while Bacau is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Bacau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.36 £19.59
$14.27 RON 67.8
84.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$109 £80.7
$83.5 RON 397
30.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £7.96
$7.46 RON 35.46
43.57%
Cappuccino
$5.59 £4.15
$2.00 RON 9.51
179.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.23
$1.94 RON 9.21
54.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.65
$1.90 RON 9.04
16.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.65 £7.17
$2.49 RON 11.83
287.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.26 £6.14
$3.22 RON 15.28
156.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Bacau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 £1.46
$1.19 RON 5.68
65.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 £1.55
$0.71 RON 3.39
194.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 £1.93
$1.66 RON 7.91
56.02%
Eggs
$5.37 £3.99
$3.53 RON 16.75
52.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.12 £9.75
$7.65 RON 36.36
71.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.03 £8.20
$5.50 RON 26.12
100.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.73 £13.17
$8.23 RON 39.09
115.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 £2.36
$1.15 RON 5.47
175.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.49 RON 7.07
-7.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.10
$1.51 RON 7.18
86.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 £2.50
$1.76 RON 8.38
90.91%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
$0.73 RON 3.45
132.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 £1.32
$0.63 RON 2.98
182.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 £1.11
$0.74 RON 3.53
101.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.35
$0.72 RON 3.41
152.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.85 £17.72
$5.39 RON 25.62
342.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.44 £9.98
$5.21 RON 24.76
157.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 £2.31
$0.93 RON 4.42
234.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 £3.34
$1.23 RON 5.85
265.04%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Bacau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.07
$0.69 RON 3.30
498.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$266 £198
$29.69 RON 141
795.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 £4.44
$0.74 RON 3.53
708.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.39 £2.52
$0.71 RON 3.38
377.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.6 £42.03
$7.38 RON 35.04
666.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$1.89 RON 8.97
16.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.4K
$28.8K RON 137.0K
32.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.5K
$25.2K RON 119.8K
62.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Bacau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £277
$104 RON 494
257.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.66 £13.87
$7.69 RON 36.53
142.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.53 £30.12
$4.76 RON 22.64
751.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Bacau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.0 £41.63
$26.06 RON 124
114.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.10 £12.71
$15.65 RON 74.4
9.27%
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.34
$6.26 RON 29.74
186.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Bacau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,946 £2,189
$591 RON 2,810
398.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$47.6K £35.4K
$6,342 RON 30.1K
650.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Bacau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £86.4
$84.6 RON 402
37.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 £42.28
$31.92 RON 152
78.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.1
$60.4 RON 287
111.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 £114
$84.3 RON 401
82.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Bacau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,935 £2,182
$409 RON 1,943
617.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,258 £1,678
$242 RON 1,152
831.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,901
$541 RON 2,569
871.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,859 £2,868
$404 RON 1,919
855.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.2K £12.8K
$1,809 RON 8,593
850.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,278 £6,152
$1,198 RON 5,693
590.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Bacau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,621 £4,177
$926 RON 4,399
507.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.78
6.97
-31.42%

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

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bacau: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Bacau
$242 89.3% $2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$432
Bacau
$117 73% $315
Eating Out
London
$396
Bacau
$195 50.8% $201
Groceries & Markets
London
$360
Bacau
$177 50.8% $183
Getting Around
London
$305
Bacau
$37 88% $269
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Bacau
$118 42.6% $87
Sport & Entertainment
London
$92
Bacau
$39 58% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,935 in London versus $409 in Bacau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in London are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London versus $83 in Bacau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $177 – making Bacau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇷🇴 Bacau
🕒 Local time
04:19 4:19 AM
06:19 6:19 AM
2 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
144,307
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.33 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Bacau 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Bacau

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
London vs Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bacau cheaper than London?
Yes – London is pricier by about 338%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,072 per month in London and $1,385 in Bacau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $409 there versus $2,935 in London.
Is eating out cheaper in London or in Bacau?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London and $83 in Bacau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in London and in Bacau?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,048 in London and $924 in Bacau. That makes Bacau about 77% cheaper.
Is London or Bacau more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bacau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bacau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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