Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $354 in Manzini versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Manzini $354
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $515 in Manzini versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Manzini $515
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $677 in Manzini versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Manzini $677
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Manzini costs roughly 74% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manzini is 74% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 SZL 21.19

$1.65 RON 7.79

-21.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SZL 15.84

$1.35 RON 6.39

-28.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 SZL 29.52

$1.78 RON 8.42

0.56%

Eggs

$1.18 SZL 19.51

$3.66 RON 17.33

-67.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 SZL 124

$8.57 RON 40.54

-12.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 SZL 48.83

$6.80 RON 32.17

-56.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.85 SZL 30.51

$11.72 RON 55.4

-84.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 SZL 21.91

$1.29 RON 6.11

3.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 SZL 9.73

$1.56 RON 7.37

-62.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 SZL 13.65

$1.54 RON 7.28

-46.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 SZL 8.48

$2.48 RON 11.75

-79.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 SZL 9.60

$0.83 RON 3.92

-30.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 SZL 7.73

$0.80 RON 3.77

-41.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 SZL 7.36

$0.84 RON 3.98

-46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SZL 11.47

$0.93 RON 4.39

-24.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 SZL 51.7

$6.44 RON 30.45

-51.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.20 SZL 52.8

$6.32 RON 29.91

-49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.39

$1.26 RON 5.94

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 SZL 12.80

$1.60 RON 7.59

-51.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 SZL 9.89

$0.81 RON 3.85

-25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 SZL 21.79

$1.96 RON 9.27

-32.65%

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

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

-39.21%

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

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

-40.16%

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

$72.4 SZL 1,193

$197 RON 931

-63.23%

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

$12.23 SZL 202

$8.34 RON 39.44

46.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 SZL 494

$9.19 RON 43.47

226.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 SZL 60.6

$8.46 RON 40.01

-56.50%

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

$639 RON 3,023

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$170 SZL 2,801

$673 RON 3,184

-74.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 SZL 1,734

$449 RON 2,123

-76.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 SZL 6,054

$1,098 RON 5,195

-66.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 SZL 4,517

$729 RON 3,448

-62.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$404 SZL 6,657

$1,323 RON 6,259

-69.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

48.37%

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

Last update for Manzini: 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

Manzini

–

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Bucharest

$214 16%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Bucharest

$67 5%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $170 in Manzini and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 228% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

10:00 10:00 AM

1 h ahead of Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manzini Bucharest 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Manzini
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

Manzini vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manzini and Bucharest differ by about 282% in total monthly costs ($354 vs $1,351 including rent). Manzini is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 228% 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: $170 in Manzini versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $354 per month in Manzini versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 282% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $354 in Manzini versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manzini but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Manzini 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 Manzini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 282% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.