Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Subotica and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Subotica: $1,095 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Subotica
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Subotica Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Subotica

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,095

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,095 in Subotica versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Subotica $1,095
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Subotica versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Subotica $1,651
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,208 in Subotica versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Subotica $2,208
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Subotica costs roughly 18% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Subotica 19% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 RSD 977

$14.49 RON 68.6

-35.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.62 RSD 3,505

$58.1 RON 275

-42.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 RSD 1,156

$7.48 RON 35.40

48.26%

Cappuccino

$1.95 RSD 204

$3.44 RON 16.29

-43.31%

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

$1.90 RSD 198

$2.37 RON 11.22

-19.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RSD 179

$2.30 RON 10.88

-25.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 RSD 260

$3.70 RON 17.51

-32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 RSD 303

$4.16 RON 19.69

-30.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RSD 139

$1.67 RON 7.90

-19.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 RSD 117

$1.37 RON 6.50

-18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 RSD 212

$1.72 RON 8.14

18.02%

Eggs

$3.03 RSD 316

$3.64 RON 17.22

-16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 RSD 1,272

$9.08 RON 42.98

34.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 RSD 694

$6.84 RON 32.35

-2.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 RSD 1,323

$12.00 RON 56.8

5.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RSD 145

$1.23 RON 5.80

13.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 RSD 204

$1.63 RON 7.73

19.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 RSD 148

$1.57 RON 7.45

-9.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 RSD 226

$2.54 RON 12.01

-14.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 RSD 103

$0.79 RON 3.75

24.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RSD 67.7

$0.77 RON 3.66

-15.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 RSD 60.8

$0.87 RON 4.13

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 RSD 68.0

$0.99 RON 4.70

-34.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 RSD 430

$6.31 RON 29.86

-34.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.35 RSD 558

$6.20 RON 29.34

-13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 RSD 87.1

$1.19 RON 5.63

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 RSD 248

$1.57 RON 7.45

51.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 RSD 116

$0.86 RON 4.08

29.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 RSD 3,533

$21.10 RON 99.8

60.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 RSD 203

$0.64 RON 3.05

204.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 RSD 126

$0.60 RON 2.86

101.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.07 RSD 1,154

$6.43 RON 30.43

72.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 RSD 191

$1.96 RON 9.25

-6.63%

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

$29.9K RSD 3.1M

$29.0K RON 137.2K

3.08%

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

$25.3K RSD 2.6M

$26.6K RON 126.0K

-5.01%

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

$168 RSD 17.5K

$196 RON 927

-14.28%

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

$15.69 RSD 1,636

$8.04 RON 38.04

95.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.29 RSD 3,888

$9.35 RON 44.21

298.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.23 RSD 3,464

$50.2 RON 238

-33.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.23 RSD 962

$25.33 RON 120

-63.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 RSD 508

$8.15 RON 38.55

-40.25%

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

$233 RSD 24.3K

$628 RON 2,971

-62.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.37 RSD 4,521

$89.6 RON 424

-51.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.88 RSD 2,281

$38.32 RON 181

-42.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 RSD 9,660

$79.3 RON 375

16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 RSD 7,333

$90.4 RON 428

-22.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 RSD 43.8K

$678 RON 3,209

-38.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 RSD 30.8K

$448 RON 2,121

-34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 RSD 62.5K

$1,083 RON 5,125

-44.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 RSD 55.8K

$725 RON 3,430

-26.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,445 RSD 254.9K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-34.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,616 RSD 168.5K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-26.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$903 RSD 94.1K

$1,329 RON 6,290

-32.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

6.75

-29.04%

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

Last update for Subotica: 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

Subotica

$296 27%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 51.7% $153

Groceries & Markets

Subotica

$222 20.3%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 1.3% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Subotica

$221 20.2%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 3.4% $7.6

Eating Out

Subotica

$164 15%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 37% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Subotica

$103 9.4%

Bucharest

$134 10% 30.4% $31

Getting Around

Subotica

$46 4.2%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 39.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Subotica

$43 3.9%

Bucharest

$67 5% 54.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $420 in Subotica and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 47% 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: $34.00 in Subotica vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $225 per month, with Subotica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Subotica

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

02:04 2:04 AM

1 h ahead of Subotica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,752

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Subotica Bucharest 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Subotica
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

Subotica vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subotica and Bucharest differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,095 vs $1,340 including rent). Subotica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $420 in Subotica versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,095 per month in Subotica versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Subotica runs roughly 61% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,095 in Subotica versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subotica but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Subotica 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, Subotica 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 Subotica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.