Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lubumbashi and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Lubumbashi: $1,228 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bucharest outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
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Lubumbashi Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,228

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Lubumbashi versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Lubumbashi $1,228
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,727 in Lubumbashi versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Lubumbashi $2,727
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,226 in Lubumbashi versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Lubumbashi $4,226
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Lubumbashi costs roughly 8% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lubumbashi 9% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

$14.49 RON 68.6

-31.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 CDF 224.6K

$58.1 RON 275

70.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 CDF 22.5K

$7.48 RON 35.40

32.62%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CDF 9,131

$3.44 RON 16.29

17.15%

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

$1.08 CDF 2,458

$2.37 RON 11.22

-54.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 CDF 4,508

$3.70 RON 17.51

-46.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 CDF 5,756

$4.16 RON 19.69

-38.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CDF 4,446

$1.67 RON 7.90

17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 CDF 2,764

$1.37 RON 6.50

-10.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CDF 7,204

$1.72 RON 8.14

84.88%

Eggs

$2.10 CDF 4,761

$3.64 RON 17.22

-42.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.77 CDF 33.5K

$9.08 RON 42.98

62.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 CDF 17.4K

$6.84 RON 32.35

12.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 CDF 35.2K

$12.00 RON 56.8

29.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

$1.23 RON 5.80

303.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 CDF 6,960

$1.63 RON 7.73

88.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

$1.57 RON 7.45

210.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 CDF 6,745

$2.54 RON 12.01

17.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CDF 5,810

$0.79 RON 3.75

224.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CDF 6,020

$0.77 RON 3.66

245.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CDF 2,220

$0.87 RON 4.13

12.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CDF 2,774

$0.99 RON 4.70

23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 CDF 9,227

$6.31 RON 29.86

-35.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 CDF 28.8K

$6.20 RON 29.34

105.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CDF 2,600

$1.19 RON 5.63

-3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CDF 4,719

$1.57 RON 7.45

32.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 CDF 2,289

$0.86 RON 4.08

17.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 CDF 10.1K

$0.64 RON 3.05

598.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 CDF 22.4K

$6.43 RON 30.43

53.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 CDF 3,361

$1.96 RON 9.25

-24.49%

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

$25.1K CDF 56.8M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

-13.60%

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

$30.6K CDF 69.3M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

14.79%

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

$99.9 CDF 226.3K

$196 RON 927

-49.01%

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

$20.13 CDF 45.6K

$8.04 RON 38.04

150.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 CDF 136.6K

$9.35 RON 44.21

544.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 CDF 166.8K

$50.2 RON 238

46.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

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

$132 CDF 297.9K

$628 RON 2,971

-79.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,456 CDF 10.1M

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-68.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.35 CDF 50.6K

$89.6 RON 424

-75.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.55 CDF 51.1K

$38.32 RON 181

-41.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 CDF 133.9K

$79.3 RON 375

-25.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 CDF 196.0K

$90.4 RON 428

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 CDF 2.0M

$678 RON 3,209

27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 CDF 851.7K

$448 RON 2,121

-16.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 CDF 5.7M

$1,083 RON 5,125

132.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 CDF 4.6M

$725 RON 3,430

182.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,012 CDF 2.3M

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-73.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$499 CDF 1.1M

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-77.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 CDF 2.4M

$1,329 RON 6,290

-19.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Lubumbashi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lubumbashi

$376 30.6%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 19.2% $72

Groceries & Markets

Lubumbashi

$327 26.6%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 31.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lubumbashi

$180 14.7%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 18.3% $33

Eating Out

Lubumbashi

$177 * 14.4%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 27.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Lubumbashi

$86 7%

Bucharest

$134 10% 56.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Lubumbashi

$74 * 6%

Bucharest

$67 5% 9.6% $7.1

Getting Around

Lubumbashi

$8.5 * 0.7%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 232% $20

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 $862 in Lubumbashi and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 25% 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: $99.0 in Lubumbashi vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

1 h ahead of Lubumbashi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,139,064

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to CDF – Congolese Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇩 Congolese Franc (Fr)

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to CDF in detail →

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Lubumbashi Bucharest 6,240 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lubumbashi
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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

Lubumbashi vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lubumbashi and Bucharest differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,228 vs $1,340 including rent). Lubumbashi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $862 in Lubumbashi versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bucharest pay roughly 45% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Lubumbashi versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,228 in Lubumbashi versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lubumbashi but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Lubumbashi 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.

Expats usually find Lubumbashi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.