Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Solna and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,760 in Solna, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Solna
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Solna Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Solna

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,760

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,760 in Solna versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Solna $1,760
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Solna versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Solna $2,721
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Solna versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Solna $3,682
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Solna is roughly 31% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Solna is 30% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.11 SEK 140

$14.49 RON 68.6

-2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 SEK 653

$58.1 RON 275

13.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 SEK 111

$7.48 RON 35.40

49.60%

Cappuccino

$4.74 SEK 46.94

$3.44 RON 16.29

37.79%

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

$2.26 SEK 22.44

$2.37 RON 11.22

-4.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 SEK 14.10

$2.30 RON 10.88

-38.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 SEK 74.1

$3.70 RON 17.51

102.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 SEK 72.5

$4.16 RON 19.69

75.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 SEK 13.71

$1.67 RON 7.90

-17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 SEK 25.13

$1.37 RON 6.50

85.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.82

$1.72 RON 8.14

104.07%

Eggs

$3.88 SEK 38.47

$3.64 RON 17.22

6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 SEK 90.2

$9.08 RON 42.98

0.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.75 SEK 126

$6.84 RON 32.35

86.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 SEK 218

$12.00 RON 56.8

83.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.53

$1.23 RON 5.80

158.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 SEK 20.08

$1.63 RON 7.73

24.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 SEK 24.29

$1.57 RON 7.45

56.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 28.93

$2.54 RON 12.01

14.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.54

$0.79 RON 3.75

86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.49

$0.77 RON 3.66

142.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 SEK 20.94

$0.87 RON 4.13

142.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 10.09

$0.99 RON 4.70

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.38 SEK 73.1

$6.31 RON 29.86

16.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.19 SEK 131

$6.20 RON 29.34

112.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 SEK 13.57

$1.19 RON 5.63

15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.82

$1.57 RON 7.45

40.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 SEK 41.30

$0.86 RON 4.08

384.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 SEK 948

$21.10 RON 99.8

353.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 SEK 35.24

$0.64 RON 3.05

456.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 SEK 24.83

$0.60 RON 2.86

318.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.4 SEK 796

$6.43 RON 30.43

1149.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.87

$1.96 RON 9.25

-8.16%

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

$33.4K SEK 330.5K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

15.01%

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

$32.4K SEK 320.9K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

21.58%

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

$103 SEK 1,022

$196 RON 927

-47.35%

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

$22.72 SEK 225

$8.04 RON 38.04

182.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 400

$9.35 RON 44.21

331.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.85 SEK 375

$50.2 RON 238

-24.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.05 SEK 258

$25.33 RON 120

2.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 SEK 145

$8.15 RON 38.55

80.00%

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

$152 SEK 1,505

$628 RON 2,971

-75.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,015 SEK 49.7K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-64.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,039

$89.6 RON 424

17.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 SEK 400

$38.32 RON 181

5.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 SEK 860

$79.3 RON 375

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,334

$90.4 RON 428

48.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 SEK 7,869

$678 RON 3,209

17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 SEK 6,132

$448 RON 2,121

38.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 SEK 13.4K

$1,083 RON 5,125

25.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 SEK 10.2K

$725 RON 3,430

42.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,838 SEK 67.7K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

82.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,815 SEK 27.9K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

28.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,500 SEK 34.7K

$1,329 RON 6,290

163.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

6.75

-47.70%

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

Last update for Solna: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Solna

$619 35.2%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 27.6% $171

Groceries & Markets

Solna

$345 19.6%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 34.7% $120

Eating Out

Solna

$270 15.3%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 16.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Solna

$166 9.4%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 28.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Solna

$165 9.4%

Bucharest

$134 10% 18.8% $31

Getting Around

Solna

$128 7.3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 78% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Solna

$67 3.8%

Bucharest

$67 5% 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Solna and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solna pays 163% 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: $66.0 in Solna vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Solna

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

1 h ahead of Solna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,540

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 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 SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Solna Bucharest 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Solna
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

Solna vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solna and Bucharest differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,760 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 163% higher in Solna, 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: $794 in Solna versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,760 per month in Solna versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 353% less than in Solna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,760 in Solna, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Solna. 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, Solna 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 31% less than in Solna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.