Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lugoj and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugoj: $763 a month against $1,354 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Lugoj
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Lugoj Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Lugoj

🇷🇴 Romania

$763

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $763 in Lugoj versus $1,354 in Bucharest.

Lugoj $763
Bucharest $1,354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,197 in Lugoj versus $2,043 in Bucharest.

Lugoj $1,197
Bucharest $2,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,631 in Lugoj versus $2,733 in Bucharest.

Lugoj $1,631
Bucharest $2,733

Living in Lugoj costs roughly 44% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.17 RON 44.02

$14.66 RON 70.3

-37.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.79 RON 162

$57.7 RON 277

-41.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 RON 24.50

$7.52 RON 36.07

-32.05%

Cappuccino

$1.81 RON 8.71

$3.56 RON 17.06

-49.16%

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

$1.61 RON 7.71

$2.47 RON 11.86

-34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 RON 6.86

$2.18 RON 10.48

-34.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 RON 9.97

$3.69 RON 17.70

-43.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 RON 9.77

$4.28 RON 20.54

-52.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 7.52

$1.67 RON 8.02

-5.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 RON 4.30

$1.35 RON 6.48

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 RON 3.12

$1.78 RON 8.52

-63.48%

Eggs

$1.26 RON 6.07

$3.56 RON 17.09

-64.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.40 RON 16.30

$9.12 RON 43.77

-62.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 RON 18.82

$6.82 RON 32.71

-42.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.14 RON 19.85

$12.13 RON 58.2

-65.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 RON 5.11

$1.26 RON 6.07

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.82

$1.62 RON 7.79

-25.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.85

$1.56 RON 7.48

5.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.17

$2.54 RON 12.19

-74.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 RON 2.94

$0.78 RON 3.75

-21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RON 3.11

$0.77 RON 3.72

-15.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 RON 4.61

$0.89 RON 4.26

7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 RON 3.16

$0.90 RON 4.31

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.71 RON 22.62

$6.55 RON 31.43

-28.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.19 RON 20.11

$6.37 RON 30.55

-34.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 RON 5.78

$1.24 RON 5.96

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 8.22

$1.62 RON 7.78

5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.17

$0.85 RON 4.10

-22.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.21 RON 102

$20.71 RON 99.4

2.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 RON 3.95

$0.61 RON 2.94

34.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 RON 4.59

$0.61 RON 2.94

57.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 RON 40.54

$6.16 RON 29.57

37.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 RON 8.93

$2.00 RON 9.59

-7.00%

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

$29.0K RON 139.2K

$27.9K RON 134.1K

3.77%

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

$24.4K RON 116.9K

$25.3K RON 121.5K

-3.77%

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

$51.5 RON 247

$192 RON 922

-73.20%

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

$8.42 RON 40.40

$7.92 RON 37.99

6.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.44 RON 45.28

$8.96 RON 42.98

5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.31 RON 102

$49.99 RON 240

-57.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.56 RON 123

$24.81 RON 119

3.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.54 RON 45.76

$8.51 RON 40.82

12.10%

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

$576 RON 2,763

$686 RON 3,291

-16.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,610 RON 46.1K

$14.4K RON 69.2K

-33.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 RON 426

$90.2 RON 433

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.91 RON 215

$38.74 RON 186

15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 RON 466

$78.9 RON 379

22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 RON 494

$92.1 RON 442

11.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 RON 870

$711 RON 3,412

-74.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 RON 991

$462 RON 2,216

-55.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 RON 1,516

$1,053 RON 5,055

-70.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 RON 1,488

$723 RON 3,467

-57.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,296 RON 6,221

$3,634 RON 17.4K

-64.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,028 RON 4,932

$2,173 RON 10.4K

-52.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 RON 4,394

$1,354 RON 6,496

-32.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.75

-1.48%

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

Last update for Lugoj: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lugoj

$206 27.1%

Bucharest

$462 34.1% 124% $255

Clothing & Footwear

Lugoj

$150 19.7%

Bucharest

$135 10% 10.1% $15

Eating Out

Lugoj

$137 18%

Bucharest

$228 16.9% 66.4% $91

Groceries & Markets

Lugoj

$130 17%

Bucharest

$225 16.6% 73.4% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lugoj

$69 9.1%

Bucharest

$209 15.4% 201% $140

Sport & Entertainment

Lugoj

$40 5.3%

Bucharest

$67 5% 65.9% $27

Getting Around

Lugoj

$29 3.9%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 5.6% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Lugoj and $711 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 48% 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: $34 in Lugoj vs $58 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $130 vs $225 per month, with Lugoj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Lugoj

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

Same time as Lugoj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,742

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lugoj Bucharest 360 km

From you

Lugoj
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

Lugoj vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lugoj and Bucharest differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($763 vs $1,354 including rent). Lugoj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Lugoj. 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: $181 in Lugoj versus $711 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $763 per month in Lugoj versus $1,354 in Bucharest – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $763 in Lugoj versus $1,354 in Bucharest, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Lugoj but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Lugoj 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lugoj wins on affordability, Bucharest on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.