Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melun and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $1,687 in Melun, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Melun
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Melun Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Melun

🇫🇷 France

$1,687

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Melun versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

Melun $1,687
Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,511 in Melun versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

Melun $2,511
Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,335 in Melun versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

Melun $3,335
Bucharest $2,721

Living in Melun is roughly 26% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melun is 24% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.73 €11.32

$14.45 RON 68.4

-11.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 €47.20

$58.1 RON 275

-8.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.93

$7.53 RON 35.65

78.09%

Cappuccino

$2.99 €2.66

$3.45 RON 16.33

-13.33%

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

$1.68 €1.50

$2.46 RON 11.65

-31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.23 RON 10.54

-22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 €6.62

$3.76 RON 17.78

97.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.00

$4.19 RON 19.84

34.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.62 RON 7.67

-18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.30 RON 6.13

45.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$1.70 RON 8.05

68.24%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.70

$3.79 RON 17.93

10.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.19 €18.85

$8.86 RON 41.90

139.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.88 €11.46

$6.90 RON 32.67

86.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.95 €20.41

$12.14 RON 57.4

89.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 €2.94

$1.30 RON 6.17

154.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.88

$1.60 RON 7.55

32.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.57 RON 7.42

49.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$2.68 RON 12.67

14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$0.81 RON 3.82

124.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$0.79 RON 3.73

151.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.58

$0.91 RON 4.30

94.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$0.97 RON 4.58

-35.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €12.38

$6.41 RON 30.34

117.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 €7.29

$6.18 RON 29.24

32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.23 RON 5.83

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$1.67 RON 7.91

155.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.87 RON 4.10

124.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.25 €42.03

$20.98 RON 99.3

125.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.66 RON 3.10

234.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.60 RON 2.85

260.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 €21.18

$6.19 RON 29.28

284.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.93 RON 9.15

15.54%

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

$34.1K €30.3K

$28.7K RON 135.9K

18.63%

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

$34.3K €30.5K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

30.15%

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

$197 €176

$196 RON 926

0.86%

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

$15.10 €13.43

$8.49 RON 40.19

77.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 €25.03

$9.05 RON 42.84

210.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.17 €31.29

$49.54 RON 234

-29.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 €8.87

$8.24 RON 39.01

21.00%

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

$623 €554

$636 RON 3,007

-2.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,092 €7,197

$14.6K RON 69.0K

-44.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.0

$88.5 RON 419

-2.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.76 €36.25

$38.77 RON 183

5.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.1

$78.8 RON 373

31.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.4

$90.6 RON 428

12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €660

$695 RON 3,288

6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 €499

$446 RON 2,109

25.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,061

$1,084 RON 5,130

9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 €785

$712 RON 3,368

23.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,959 €3,522

$3,797 RON 18.0K

4.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,978 €2,649

$2,202 RON 10.4K

35.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,499 €2,223

$1,354 RON 6,406

84.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

6.75

-41.93%

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

Last update for Melun: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melun

$561 33.2%

Bucharest

$446 33.3% 20.5% $115

Groceries & Markets

Melun

$372 22.1%

Bucharest

$225 16.9% 39.4% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melun

$241 14.3%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 11.4% $27

Eating Out

Melun

$240 14.2%

Bucharest

$226 16.9% 6.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Melun

$150 8.9%

Bucharest

$133 10% 10.8% $16

Getting Around

Melun

$68 4%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 58.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Melun

$55 3.3%

Bucharest

$66 4.9% 19.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Melun and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melun pays 85% 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: $53.0 in Melun vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $372 vs $225, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Melun

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

08:17 8:17 AM

1 h ahead of Melun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,367

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Melun Bucharest 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Melun
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

Melun vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melun and Bucharest differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,687 vs $1,337 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 85% higher in Melun, 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: $742 in Melun versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Melun versus $1,337 in Bucharest – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 125% less than in Melun. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $1,687 in Melun, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Melun. 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, Melun 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 26% less than in Melun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.