Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Strumica and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Strumica: $855 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Strumica
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Strumica Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Strumica

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$855

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Strumica versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Strumica $855
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,214 in Strumica versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Strumica $1,214
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,573 in Strumica versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Strumica $1,573
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Strumica costs roughly 36% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Strumica 37% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 MKD 199

$14.49 RON 68.6

-74.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.76 MKD 1,242

$58.1 RON 275

-60.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.67 MKD 200

$7.48 RON 35.40

-50.94%

Cappuccino

$1.56 MKD 85.2

$3.44 RON 16.29

-54.65%

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

$1.32 MKD 72.1

$2.37 RON 11.22

-44.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 MKD 65.5

$2.30 RON 10.88

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 MKD 101

$3.70 RON 17.51

-50.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 MKD 112

$4.16 RON 19.69

-50.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MKD 69.5

$1.67 RON 7.90

-23.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 MKD 43.71

$1.37 RON 6.50

-41.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MKD 91.7

$1.72 RON 8.14

-2.33%

Eggs

$2.22 MKD 121

$3.64 RON 17.22

-39.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 MKD 428

$9.08 RON 42.98

-13.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 MKD 331

$6.84 RON 32.35

-11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 MKD 551

$12.00 RON 56.8

-15.75%

Apples (1kg)

$0.62 MKD 33.64

$1.23 RON 5.80

-49.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MKD 76.2

$1.63 RON 7.73

-14.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 MKD 63.4

$1.57 RON 7.45

-26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MKD 103

$2.54 RON 12.01

-25.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.36

$0.79 RON 3.75

5.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.02

$0.77 RON 3.66

7.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 MKD 32.66

$0.87 RON 4.13

-31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MKD 30.51

$0.99 RON 4.70

-43.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 MKD 150

$6.31 RON 29.86

-56.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.29 MKD 289

$6.20 RON 29.34

-14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MKD 51.1

$1.19 RON 5.63

-21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 MKD 65.1

$1.57 RON 7.45

-24.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MKD 41.61

$0.86 RON 4.08

-11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 MKD 57.7

$0.64 RON 3.05

65.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MKD 33.62

$0.60 RON 2.86

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.69 MKD 420

$6.43 RON 30.43

19.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MKD 88.2

$1.96 RON 9.25

-17.35%

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

$35.0K MKD 1.9M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

20.71%

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

$27.0K MKD 1.5M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

1.38%

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

$150 MKD 8,164

$196 RON 927

-23.59%

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

$12.60 MKD 687

$8.04 RON 38.04

56.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.22 MKD 994

$9.35 RON 44.21

94.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.21 MKD 1,102

$50.2 RON 238

-59.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 MKD 403

$8.15 RON 38.55

-9.45%

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

$361 MKD 19.7K

$628 RON 2,971

-42.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,568 MKD 303.7K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-60.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 MKD 4,590

$89.6 RON 424

-6.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.11 MKD 2,025

$38.32 RON 181

-3.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MKD 5,444

$79.3 RON 375

25.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MKD 4,889

$90.4 RON 428

-0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 MKD 16.7K

$678 RON 3,209

-54.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 MKD 12.7K

$448 RON 2,121

-48.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 MKD 27.0K

$1,083 RON 5,125

-54.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MKD 16.1K

$725 RON 3,430

-59.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,478 MKD 80.6K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-60.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 MKD 52.9K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-55.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$641 MKD 35.0K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-51.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-40.74%

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

Last update for Strumica: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Strumica

$233 27.3%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 92.4% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Strumica

$180 21.1%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 18.2% $33

Groceries & Markets

Strumica

$177 20.7%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 27.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Strumica

$140 16.4%

Bucharest

$134 10% 4.2% $5.9

Eating Out

Strumica

$82 9.6%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 174% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Strumica

$35 4.1%

Bucharest

$67 5% 90.2% $32

Getting Around

Strumica

$7.2 * 0.8%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 292% $21

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 $307 in Strumica and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 107% 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: $23.00 in Strumica vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $225 per month, with Strumica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Strumica

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

1 h ahead of Strumica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 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 MKD in detail →

On the map

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Strumica Bucharest 440 km

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Strumica
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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

Strumica vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Strumica and Bucharest differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($855 vs $1,340 including rent). Strumica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 107% 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: $307 in Strumica versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Strumica versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $855 in Strumica versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Strumica but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Strumica 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, Strumica 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 Strumica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.