Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Bucharest Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Bucharest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Sibiu versus $1,336 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Sibiu versus $2,162 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,219 in Sibiu versus $2,988 in Bucharest.

Living in Sibiu costs roughly 19% less than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sibiu is 19% below, Bucharest is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.02 RON 40.76

$13.58 RON 61.4

-33.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.09 RON 208

$68.1 RON 308

-32.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 RON 31.68

$8.05 RON 36.38

-12.92%

Cappuccino

$3.10 RON 14.00

$3.40 RON 15.36

-8.82%

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

$2.08 RON 9.39

$2.32 RON 10.50

-10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 7.82

$2.38 RON 10.74

-27.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 RON 12.39

$3.54 RON 15.99

-22.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 RON 15.82

$4.01 RON 18.14

-12.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 RON 6.77

$1.74 RON 7.88

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 RON 5.48

$1.42 RON 6.42

-14.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.21

$1.93 RON 8.73

-17.10%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 14.65

$3.54 RON 15.99

-8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 RON 35.12

$9.27 RON 41.90

-16.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 RON 28.11

$7.13 RON 32.21

-12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 RON 40.55

$12.28 RON 55.5

-26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 RON 5.27

$1.35 RON 6.11

-13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.88

$1.74 RON 7.86

-12.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.79

$1.76 RON 7.98

-2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 RON 9.70

$2.40 RON 10.83

-10.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 RON 3.70

$1.05 RON 4.72

-21.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 RON 3.91

$0.96 RON 4.35

-10.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.64

$0.92 RON 4.15

11.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.20

$0.91 RON 4.09

2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 RON 26.52

$6.38 RON 28.82

-7.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 RON 38.35

$6.45 RON 29.16

31.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 RON 4.62

$1.22 RON 5.51

-16.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 RON 8.06

$1.98 RON 8.95

-10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.20

$1.16 RON 5.27

-38.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 RON 89.2

$19.48 RON 88.0

1.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 3.96

$0.72 RON 3.25

22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 RON 3.92

$0.62 RON 2.79

40.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 RON 41.04

$6.94 RON 31.35

30.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 RON 7.49

$1.71 RON 7.75

-2.92%

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

$27.7K RON 125.2K

$29.0K RON 131.0K

-4.44%

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

$26.3K RON 118.8K

$30.3K RON 137.0K

-13.26%

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

$142 RON 644

$178 RON 803

-19.83%

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

$8.78 RON 39.70

$9.16 RON 41.40

-4.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.43 RON 51.7

$11.12 RON 50.3

2.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 RON 186

$54.7 RON 247

-24.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 RON 70.1

$29.04 RON 131

-46.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 RON 30.34

$9.27 RON 41.92

-27.62%

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

$423 RON 1,912

$677 RON 3,060

-37.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,959 RON 31.5K

$14.9K RON 67.2K

-53.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 RON 306

$79.8 RON 361

-15.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.54 RON 174

$45.29 RON 205

-14.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 RON 371

$89.2 RON 403

-7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 RON 427

$109 RON 493

-13.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 RON 1,672

$662 RON 2,992

-44.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 RON 1,473

$432 RON 1,953

-24.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 RON 3,180

$1,355 RON 6,126

-48.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 RON 2,587

$841 RON 3,802

-31.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,513 RON 11.4K

$3,857 RON 17.4K

-34.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,088 RON 9,439

$2,305 RON 10.4K

-9.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,157 RON 5,231

$1,463 RON 6,615

-20.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

7.1

-8.45%

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

Last update for Sibiu: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Sibiu and $662 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 26% 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: $46.00 in Sibiu vs $68.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $233 per month, with Sibiu cheaper across the board.

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

Sibiu vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibiu and Bucharest differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,087 vs $1,336 including rent). Sibiu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bucharest earns 26% less. 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: $370 in Sibiu versus $662 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,087 per month in Sibiu versus $1,336 in Bucharest – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sibiu runs roughly 1% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,087 in Sibiu versus $1,336 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibiu but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Sibiu 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, Sibiu 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 Sibiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.