Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,311 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,311

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,311 in Madrid versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Madrid $2,311
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,324 in Madrid versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Madrid $3,324
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,337 in Madrid versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Madrid $4,337
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Madrid is roughly 71% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madrid 72% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €16.14

$14.46 RON 68.9

25.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 €60.4

$57.7 RON 275

17.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 €9.95

$7.50 RON 35.72

48.80%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$3.43 RON 16.32

-9.62%

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

$3.25 €2.90

$2.46 RON 11.72

32.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.33 RON 11.09

-3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.45

$3.80 RON 18.10

1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.44

$4.10 RON 19.56

21.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.65 RON 7.85

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.35 RON 6.44

18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.78 RON 8.48

-5.62%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.78

$3.66 RON 17.46

15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.22

$8.57 RON 40.84

99.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 €8.10

$6.80 RON 32.41

33.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 €15.70

$11.72 RON 55.8

50.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.29 RON 6.16

95.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.56 RON 7.43

39.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$1.54 RON 7.34

68.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.26

$2.48 RON 11.84

2.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.83 RON 3.95

166.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$0.80 RON 3.80

172.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$0.84 RON 4.01

86.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.93 RON 4.42

12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.93

$6.44 RON 30.68

3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.94

$6.32 RON 30.13

23.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.26 RON 5.99

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.60 RON 7.65

41.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.52

$0.81 RON 3.88

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.14 €33.11

$21.13 RON 101

75.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 €3.33

$0.60 RON 2.88

523.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.61 RON 2.93

144.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.16 €26.89

$6.17 RON 29.41

388.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.96 RON 9.34

-6.12%

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

$34.8K €31.1K

$28.1K RON 134.2K

23.75%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$26.3K RON 125.3K

26.88%

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

$185 €165

$197 RON 938

-5.82%

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

$18.51 €16.50

$8.34 RON 39.74

121.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 €31.01

$9.19 RON 43.80

278.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 €44.57

$49.87 RON 238

0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 €16.14

$24.99 RON 119

-27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 €10.03

$8.46 RON 40.31

32.86%

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

$666 €594

$639 RON 3,046

4.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.1K

$14.4K RON 68.6K

25.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.3

$90.6 RON 432

-5.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.61 €38.88

$38.05 RON 181

14.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €96.8

$79.7 RON 380

36.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.6

$93.2 RON 444

19.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,359

$673 RON 3,209

126.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,063

$449 RON 2,139

165.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 €2,414

$1,098 RON 5,234

146.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 €1,604

$729 RON 3,474

146.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,164 €8,171

$3,740 RON 17.8K

145.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,169 €3,717

$2,189 RON 10.4K

90.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 €2,209

$1,323 RON 6,306

87.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.08

6.74

-54.30%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 6, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.1%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 62.4% $744

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.4%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 28% $86

Eating Out

Madrid

$267 11.7%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 15.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$239 10.4%

Bucharest

$214 16% 10.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.9%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 13.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Bucharest

$67 5% 7.9% $5.7

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 49.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Madrid and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 87% 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: $68.0 in Madrid vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $222 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

03:52 3:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

1 h ahead of Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Madrid Bucharest 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Madrid vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madrid and Bucharest differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($2,311 vs $1,351 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Madrid, 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: $1,524 in Madrid versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,311 per month in Madrid versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 76% less than in Madrid. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,311 in Madrid, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Madrid. 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, Madrid 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 71% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.