Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nantes and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,824 in Nantes, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nantes
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Nantes Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Nantes

🇫🇷 France

$1,824

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,824 in Nantes versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Nantes $1,824
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,821 in Nantes versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Nantes $2,821
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nantes versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Nantes $3,818
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Nantes is roughly 36% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nantes is 35% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 €14.87

$14.49 RON 68.9

15.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 €49.78

$58.1 RON 276

-3.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.99

$7.48 RON 35.60

49.87%

Cappuccino

$3.74 €3.33

$3.44 RON 16.38

8.72%

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

$3.06 €2.73

$2.37 RON 11.28

29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.40

$2.30 RON 10.94

-31.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.72 €6.89

$3.70 RON 17.60

108.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 €4.12

$4.16 RON 19.80

11.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.67 RON 7.94

-26.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 €3.53

$1.37 RON 6.53

189.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 €2.81

$1.72 RON 8.18

83.14%

Eggs

$3.73 €3.33

$3.64 RON 17.31

2.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.91 €22.21

$9.08 RON 43.21

174.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 €10.76

$6.84 RON 32.52

76.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.81 €14.10

$12.00 RON 57.1

31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 €2.68

$1.23 RON 5.83

143.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.63 RON 7.77

61.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 €2.58

$1.57 RON 7.49

84.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.61

$2.54 RON 12.08

15.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.70

$0.79 RON 3.77

140.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.70

$0.77 RON 3.68

146.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.25

$0.87 RON 4.15

60.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.64

$0.99 RON 4.73

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.70 €13.10

$6.31 RON 30.02

132.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 €5.87

$6.20 RON 29.51

6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.14

$1.19 RON 5.66

196.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.55

$1.57 RON 7.49

82.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 €1.81

$0.86 RON 4.10

136.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 €56.1

$21.10 RON 100

198.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 €4.95

$0.64 RON 3.06

767.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.40

$0.60 RON 2.87

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.81 €31.93

$6.43 RON 30.60

456.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.96 RON 9.31

12.76%

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

$34.0K €30.3K

$29.0K RON 138.0K

17.37%

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

$34.4K €30.7K

$26.6K RON 126.7K

29.20%

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

$162 €145

$196 RON 932

-17.24%

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

$14.29 €12.74

$8.04 RON 38.25

77.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.48 €28.07

$9.35 RON 44.46

236.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.74 €24.73

$50.2 RON 239

-44.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.35 €3.88

$25.33 RON 121

-82.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 €11.82

$8.15 RON 38.76

62.70%

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

$1,065 €950

$628 RON 2,988

69.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €17.1K

$14.1K RON 67.0K

36.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €83.8

$89.6 RON 426

4.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.93 €31.14

$38.32 RON 182

-8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 €82.8

$79.3 RON 377

17.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €120

$90.4 RON 430

49.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 €713

$678 RON 3,227

17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 €583

$448 RON 2,133

45.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,496

$1,083 RON 5,153

54.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 €1,096

$725 RON 3,449

69.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,016 €4,472

$3,751 RON 17.8K

33.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,644 €3,249

$2,195 RON 10.4K

66.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,917 €2,601

$1,329 RON 6,324

119.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

6.75

-42.37%

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

Last update for Nantes: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nantes

$654 35.8%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 31.4% $206

Groceries & Markets

Nantes

$379 20.8%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 40.7% $154

Eating Out

Nantes

$278 15.3%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 19.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nantes

$208 11.4%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 2.6% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Nantes

$160 8.8%

Bucharest

$134 10% 16.5% $26

Getting Around

Nantes

$90 4.9%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 68.7% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Nantes

$54 3%

Bucharest

$67 5% 22.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $800 in Nantes and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nantes pays 119% 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: $56.0 in Nantes vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $225, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Nantes

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h ahead of Nantes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

323,204

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 = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Nantes Bucharest 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Nantes vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nantes and Bucharest differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,824 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 119% higher in Nantes, 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: $800 in Nantes versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,824 per month in Nantes versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 198% less than in Nantes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,824 in Nantes, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Nantes. 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, Nantes 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 36% less than in Nantes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.