Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Niamey and Bucharest

For one person, living costs are similar in Niamey and in Bucharest: $1,338 and $1,351 a month, rent and utilities included.

66

Cost of Living Index in Niamey
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Niamey Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Niamey

🇳🇪 Niger

$1,338

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,338 in Niamey versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Niamey $1,338
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,732 in Niamey versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Niamey $1,732
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Niamey versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Niamey $2,125
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Niamey costs roughly 1% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Niamey 0% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 F CFA 3,829

$14.46 RON 68.4

-54.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.86 F CFA 22.7K

$57.7 RON 273

-32.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 F CFA 5,665

$7.50 RON 35.46

29.07%

Cappuccino

$3.10 F CFA 1,815

$3.43 RON 16.20

-9.62%

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

$1.47 F CFA 858

$2.46 RON 11.63

-40.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 F CFA 555

$2.33 RON 11.01

-59.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 F CFA 781

$3.80 RON 17.97

-64.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 F CFA 1,727

$4.10 RON 19.41

-28.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 F CFA 1,453

$1.65 RON 7.79

50.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 F CFA 336

$1.35 RON 6.39

-57.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 982

$1.78 RON 8.42

-5.62%

Eggs

$2.18 F CFA 1,276

$3.66 RON 17.33

-40.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.95 F CFA 3,480

$6.80 RON 32.17

-12.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 F CFA 4,453

$11.72 RON 55.4

-35.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 F CFA 2,088

$1.29 RON 6.11

176.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 F CFA 941

$1.56 RON 7.37

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 F CFA 1,649

$1.54 RON 7.28

83.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 971

$2.48 RON 11.75

-33.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 F CFA 855

$0.83 RON 3.92

75.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 F CFA 412

$0.80 RON 3.77

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 F CFA 521

$0.84 RON 3.98

5.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 F CFA 626

$0.93 RON 4.39

15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 F CFA 1,536

$6.44 RON 30.45

-59.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 F CFA 8,158

$6.32 RON 29.91

120.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 F CFA 801

$1.26 RON 5.94

8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 F CFA 2,006

$1.60 RON 7.59

114.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 F CFA 214

$0.81 RON 3.85

-54.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 F CFA 264

$0.60 RON 2.86

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 F CFA 213

$0.61 RON 2.91

-40.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 F CFA 5,155

$6.17 RON 29.19

42.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 F CFA 545

$1.96 RON 9.27

-52.55%

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

$20.8K F CFA 12.2M

$28.1K RON 133.1K

-26.03%

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

$24.4K F CFA 14.3M

$26.3K RON 124.3K

-7.25%

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

$171 F CFA 99.9K

$197 RON 931

-13.25%

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

$17.34 F CFA 10.1K

$8.34 RON 39.44

107.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.1 F CFA 51.6K

$9.19 RON 43.47

858.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 F CFA 44.2K

$49.87 RON 236

51.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 F CFA 3,027

$8.46 RON 40.01

-38.89%

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

$1,044 F CFA 610.9K

$639 RON 3,023

63.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,311 F CFA 2.5M

$14.4K RON 68.1K

-70.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 F CFA 41.3K

$90.6 RON 429

-22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.9 F CFA 51.4K

$38.05 RON 180

130.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.5 F CFA 30.7K

$79.7 RON 377

-34.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 F CFA 40.3K

$93.2 RON 441

-26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 F CFA 560.6K

$673 RON 3,184

42.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 F CFA 307.7K

$449 RON 2,123

17.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 F CFA 469.1K

$1,098 RON 5,195

-27.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 F CFA 250.2K

$729 RON 3,448

-41.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 F CFA 1.0M

$3,740 RON 17.7K

-53.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$982 F CFA 574.7K

$2,189 RON 10.4K

-55.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$400 F CFA 233.8K

$1,323 RON 6,259

-69.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

33.53%

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

Last update for Niamey: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Niamey

$526 38.4%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 14.6% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Niamey

$276 20.2%

Bucharest

$214 16% 22.4% $62

Groceries & Markets

Niamey

$209 * 15.3%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 5.9% $12

Eating Out

Niamey

$141 10.3%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 60.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Niamey

$126 9.2%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 7.7% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Niamey

$86 6.3%

Bucharest

$67 5% 22.3% $19

Getting Around

Niamey

$3.7 * 0.3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 652% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Niamey and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 231% 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: $39.00 in Niamey vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $222 per month, with Niamey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇪 Niamey

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

2 h ahead of Niamey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,026,848 Capital

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Niamey Bucharest 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Niamey
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

Niamey vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Niamey and Bucharest differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,338 vs $1,351 including rent). Niamey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 231% 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: $958 in Niamey versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,338 per month in Niamey versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,338 in Niamey versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Niamey but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Niamey 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 Niamey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.