Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay): $769 a month against $1,351 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$769

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $769 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Mumbai (Bombay) $769
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,281 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,281
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,793 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Mumbai (Bombay) $1,793
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Mumbai (Bombay) costs roughly 43% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mumbai (Bombay) is 43% below, Bucharest is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 ₹512

$14.46 RON 68.9

-63.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.16 ₹2,048

$57.7 RON 275

-63.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₹394

$7.50 RON 35.72

-45.60%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₹253

$3.43 RON 16.32

-23.91%

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

$0.36 ₹35.00

$2.46 RON 11.72

-85.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.56

$2.33 RON 11.09

-94.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ₹255

$3.80 RON 18.10

-30.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 ₹398

$4.10 RON 19.56

0.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹70.5

$1.65 RON 7.85

-55.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹48.39

$1.35 RON 6.44

-62.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 ₹73.6

$1.78 RON 8.48

-57.30%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹96.9

$3.66 RON 17.46

-72.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.56 ₹538

$8.57 RON 40.84

-35.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 ₹349

$6.80 RON 32.41

-47.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.8

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₹208

$1.29 RON 6.16

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹69.8

$1.56 RON 7.43

-53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 ₹120

$1.54 RON 7.34

-19.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹48.21

$2.48 RON 11.84

-79.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.59

$0.83 RON 3.95

-59.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.51

$0.80 RON 3.80

-53.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₹42.60

$0.84 RON 4.01

-47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.87

$0.93 RON 4.42

-69.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₹491

$6.44 RON 30.68

-21.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 ₹805

$6.32 RON 30.13

31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₹188

$1.26 RON 5.99

53.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₹297

$1.60 RON 7.65

91.87%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.16 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹21.29

$0.81 RON 3.88

-72.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.61 ₹543

$21.13 RON 101

-73.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 ₹29.53

$0.60 RON 2.88

-48.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₹31.47

$0.61 RON 2.93

-45.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹149

$6.17 RON 29.41

-75.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₹111

$1.96 RON 9.34

-41.33%

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

$15.7K ₹1.5M

$28.1K RON 134.2K

-44.12%

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

$21.8K ₹2.1M

$26.3K RON 125.3K

-16.98%

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

$60.7 ₹5,877

$197 RON 938

-69.15%

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

$4.39 ₹425

$8.34 RON 39.74

-47.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.80 ₹852

$9.19 RON 43.80

-4.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₹2,525

$49.87 RON 238

-47.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 ₹1,277

$24.99 RON 119

-47.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 ₹434

$8.46 RON 40.31

-46.93%

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

$114 ₹11.0K

$639 RON 3,046

-82.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,082 ₹491.9K

$14.4K RON 68.6K

-64.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.13 ₹3,497

$90.6 RON 432

-60.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.96 ₹3,867

$38.05 RON 181

5.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.5 ₹5,270

$79.7 RON 380

-31.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.98 ₹4,644

$93.2 RON 444

-48.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ₹57.9K

$673 RON 3,209

-11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₹33.3K

$449 RON 2,139

-23.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 ₹173.9K

$1,098 RON 5,234

63.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 ₹83.8K

$729 RON 3,474

18.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,811 ₹562.3K

$3,740 RON 17.8K

55.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 ₹234.0K

$2,189 RON 10.4K

10.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 ₹74.4K

$1,323 RON 6,306

-41.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

6.74

23.00%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 3, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mumbai (Bombay)

$344 44.9%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 30.4% $105

Groceries & Markets

Mumbai (Bombay)

$116 15.1%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 91.3% $106

Eating Out

Mumbai (Bombay)

$109 14.2%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 107% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 10.5%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 68.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mumbai (Bombay)

$74 9.6%

Bucharest

$214 16% 190% $140

Sport & Entertainment

Mumbai (Bombay)

$35 4.6%

Bucharest

$67 5% 90.5% $32

Getting Around

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8.4 1.1%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 233% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $598 in Mumbai (Bombay) and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 72% 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: $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $222 per month, with Mumbai (Bombay) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

2 h 30 min behind Mumbai (Bombay)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,442,373

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mumbai (Bombay) Bucharest 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mumbai (Bombay)
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

Mumbai (Bombay) vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mumbai (Bombay) and Bucharest differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($769 vs $1,351 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 72% 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: $598 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $769 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mumbai (Bombay) runs roughly 277% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $769 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mumbai (Bombay) but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Mumbai (Bombay) 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 Mumbai (Bombay) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.