Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maiduguri and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Maiduguri: $172 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$172

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $172 in Maiduguri versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Maiduguri $172
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $288 in Maiduguri versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Maiduguri $288
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $403 in Maiduguri versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Maiduguri $403
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Maiduguri costs roughly 87% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maiduguri 87% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.55 ₦735

$14.49 RON 68.6

-96.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$1.90 ₦2,521

$7.48 RON 35.40

-74.60%

Cappuccino

$0.86 ₦1,138

$3.44 RON 16.29

-75.00%

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

$0.25 ₦331

$2.37 RON 11.22

-89.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 ₦240

$2.30 RON 10.88

-92.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ₦1,368

$1.37 RON 6.50

-24.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 ₦2,643

$1.72 RON 8.14

15.70%

Eggs

$1.76 ₦2,341

$3.64 RON 17.22

-51.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 ₦6,847

$6.84 RON 32.35

-24.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.97 ₦5,286

$12.00 RON 56.8

-66.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 ₦5,397

$1.23 RON 5.80

230.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₦1,360

$2.54 RON 12.01

-59.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ₦2,045

$0.79 RON 3.75

94.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ₦1,355

$0.77 RON 3.66

32.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₦554

$0.87 RON 4.13

-51.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₦412

$0.99 RON 4.70

-68.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₦525

$0.86 RON 4.08

-54.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.25 ₦332

$1.96 RON 9.25

-87.24%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

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

$196 RON 927

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

$8.04 ₦10.7K

$8.04 RON 38.04

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.05 ₦10.7K

$25.33 RON 120

-68.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

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

$628 RON 2,971

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.39 ₦27.1K

$89.6 RON 424

-77.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.78 ₦23.6K

$38.32 RON 181

-53.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.34 ₦33.7K

$79.3 RON 375

-68.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.13 ₦33.4K

$90.4 RON 428

-72.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

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 Maiduguri: 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

Maiduguri

–

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Eating Out

Maiduguri

–

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Groceries & Markets

Maiduguri

–

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maiduguri

–

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Maiduguri

–

Bucharest

$134 10%

Sport & Entertainment

Maiduguri

–

Bucharest

$67 5%

Getting Around

Maiduguri

–

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Good to know

🇳🇬 Maiduguri

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

21:39 9:39 PM

2 h ahead of Maiduguri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,497

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maiduguri Bucharest 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Maiduguri
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

Maiduguri vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maiduguri and Bucharest differ by about 679% in total monthly costs ($172 vs $1,340 including rent). Maiduguri is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $258 in Maiduguri and $2,011 in Bucharest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $172 per month in Maiduguri versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 679% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $172 in Maiduguri versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maiduguri but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Maiduguri 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 Maiduguri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 679% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.