Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarande and Bucharest

For one person, living costs are similar in Sarande and in Bucharest: $1,285 and $1,340 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Sarande
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Sarande Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Sarande

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,285

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,285 in Sarande versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Sarande $1,285
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Sarande versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Sarande $2,181
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,076 in Sarande versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Sarande $3,076
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Sarande costs roughly 4% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sarande 5% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 ALL 800

$14.49 RON 68.6

-31.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ALL 4,392

$58.1 RON 275

-6.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 ALL 888

$7.48 RON 35.40

47.46%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ALL 180

$3.44 RON 16.29

-35.17%

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

$2.44 ALL 197

$2.37 RON 11.22

2.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 ALL 92.8

$2.30 RON 10.88

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 ALL 283

$3.70 RON 17.51

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 ALL 332

$4.16 RON 19.69

-0.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ALL 175

$1.67 RON 7.90

30.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ALL 95.4

$1.37 RON 6.50

-13.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ALL 186

$1.72 RON 8.14

34.30%

Eggs

$3.77 ALL 304

$3.64 RON 17.22

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 ALL 1,002

$9.08 RON 42.98

37.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 ALL 732

$6.84 RON 32.35

32.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.98 ALL 1,368

$12.00 RON 56.8

41.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 ALL 156

$1.23 RON 5.80

57.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ALL 194

$1.63 RON 7.73

47.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 160

$1.57 RON 7.45

26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ALL 147

$2.54 RON 12.01

-27.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ALL 81.5

$0.79 RON 3.75

27.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ALL 103

$0.77 RON 3.66

67.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ALL 119

$0.87 RON 4.13

70.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ALL 62.2

$0.99 RON 4.70

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 ALL 388

$6.31 RON 29.86

-23.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 ALL 601

$6.20 RON 29.34

20.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ALL 129

$1.19 RON 5.63

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ALL 166

$1.57 RON 7.45

31.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ALL 88.7

$0.86 RON 4.08

27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.72 ALL 1,830

$21.10 RON 99.8

7.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ALL 297

$0.64 RON 3.05

476.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 ALL 287

$0.60 RON 2.86

493.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.51 ALL 1,491

$6.43 RON 30.43

187.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 ALL 180

$1.96 RON 9.25

13.78%

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

$33.1K ALL 2.7M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

14.27%

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

$27.8K ALL 2.2M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

4.22%

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

$99.9 ALL 8,043

$196 RON 927

-49.01%

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

$18.16 ALL 1,462

$8.04 RON 38.04

125.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.41 ALL 1,563

$9.35 RON 44.21

107.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.5 ALL 7,047

$50.2 RON 238

74.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.89 ALL 3,293

$25.33 RON 120

61.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.79 ALL 788

$8.15 RON 38.55

20.12%

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

$296 ALL 23.8K

$628 RON 2,971

-52.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,951 ALL 640.3K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-43.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 ALL 5,789

$89.6 RON 424

-19.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 ALL 3,839

$38.32 RON 181

24.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ALL 9,692

$79.3 RON 375

51.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ALL 8,958

$90.4 RON 428

23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 ALL 69.0K

$678 RON 3,209

26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ALL 30.1K

$448 RON 2,121

-16.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 ALL 88.1K

$1,083 RON 5,125

1.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ALL 74.5K

$725 RON 3,430

27.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,468 ALL 359.8K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

19.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 ALL 228.7K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

29.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 ALL 60.9K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-43.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.75

-20.15%

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

Last update for Sarande: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarande

$373 29.1%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 20.1% $75

Groceries & Markets

Sarande

$281 21.9%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 19.8% $56

Eating Out

Sarande

$180 14%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 25.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Sarande

$158 12.3%

Bucharest

$134 10% 15.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarande

$137 10.7%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 55.2% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Sarande

$107 8.3%

Bucharest

$67 5% 37.9% $41

Getting Around

Sarande

$49 3.8%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 42% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $857 in Sarande and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 76% 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: $55.0 in Sarande vs $58.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $225, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Sarande

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

1 h ahead of Sarande

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,233

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sarande Bucharest 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarande
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

Sarande vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarande and Bucharest differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,285 vs $1,340 including rent). Sarande is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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: $857 in Sarande versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,285 per month in Sarande versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sarande runs roughly 8% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,285 in Sarande versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarande but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Sarande 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 Sarande gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.