Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selfoss and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,371 a month against $3,397 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,397

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,397 in Selfoss versus $1,371 in Bucharest.

Selfoss $3,397
Bucharest $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,424 in Selfoss versus $2,067 in Bucharest.

Selfoss $2,424
Bucharest $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,451 in Selfoss versus $2,764 in Bucharest.

Selfoss $1,451
Bucharest $2,764

Living in Selfoss is roughly 148% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 RON 69.0

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 RON 291

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.19 ISK 2,453

$7.46 RON 35.50

170.64%

Cappuccino

$3.64 RON 17.33

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

$2.62 RON 12.44

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.45 ISK 1,513

$3.78 RON 18.00

229.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 RON 19.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ISK 214

$1.66 RON 7.90

6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$7.43 ISK 903

$1.40 RON 6.64

430.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 ISK 531

$1.79 RON 8.54

144.13%

Eggs

$6.34 ISK 771

$3.63 RON 17.27

74.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.92 ISK 2,055

$8.92 RON 42.43

89.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.39 ISK 2,599

$6.86 RON 32.65

211.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.81 ISK 4,108

$11.99 RON 57.0

181.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ISK 344

$1.30 RON 6.17

117.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ISK 315

$1.63 RON 7.77

58.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 ISK 325

$1.49 RON 7.10

79.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.37 ISK 896

$2.54 RON 12.09

190.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 ISK 378

$0.81 RON 3.86

283.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 ISK 262

$0.80 RON 3.79

170.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.49 ISK 424

$0.86 RON 4.07

305.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 ISK 170

$0.94 RON 4.46

48.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.52 ISK 1,886

$6.60 RON 31.42

135.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 30.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 ISK 142

$1.58 RON 7.54

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 RON 4.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 RON 99.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 RON 30.28

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 RON 9.63

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

$28.2K RON 134.1K

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

$26.3K RON 125.0K

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

$196 RON 933

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

$8.60 RON 40.89

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 RON 43.74

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 RON 243

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.04 RON 119

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 RON 39.31

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

$681 RON 3,237

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K RON 89.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 RON 444

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.87 RON 190

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 RON 381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 431

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$731 RON 3,477

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 ISK 334.9K

$470 RON 2,234

486.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 RON 5,282

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 RON 3,435

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 RON 17.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 RON 10.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 RON 6,494

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Selfoss: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Selfoss

–

Bucharest

$470 34.3%

Eating Out

Selfoss

–

Bucharest

$229 16.7%

Groceries & Markets

Selfoss

–

Bucharest

$225 16.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selfoss

–

Bucharest

$214 15.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Selfoss

–

Bucharest

$137 10%

Sport & Entertainment

Selfoss

–

Bucharest

$68 4.9%

Getting Around

Selfoss

–

Bucharest

$29 2.1%

Good to know

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

20:16 8:16 PM

2 h ahead of Selfoss

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Selfoss Bucharest 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Selfoss
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

Selfoss vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,397 in Selfoss and $1,371 in Bucharest, so Bucharest is about 60% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $5,095 in Selfoss and $2,056 in Bucharest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 130% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,397 per month in Selfoss versus $1,371 in Bucharest – Bucharest is about 60% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,371 in Bucharest versus $3,397 in Selfoss, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. 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.