Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Villeurbanne and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $1,943 in Villeurbanne, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Villeurbanne
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Villeurbanne Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Villeurbanne

🇫🇷 France

$1,943

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,943 in Villeurbanne versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

Villeurbanne $1,943
Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Villeurbanne versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

Villeurbanne $2,817
Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,691 in Villeurbanne versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

Villeurbanne $3,691
Bucharest $2,721

Living in Villeurbanne is roughly 45% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Villeurbanne is 43% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.82

$14.45 RON 68.4

15.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 €59.7

$58.1 RON 275

15.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 €11.97

$7.53 RON 35.65

78.75%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.51

$3.45 RON 16.33

14.49%

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

$2.80 €2.49

$2.46 RON 11.65

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.23 RON 10.54

-23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 €6.99

$3.76 RON 17.78

108.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 €5.40

$4.19 RON 19.84

44.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.06

$1.62 RON 7.67

-25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.30 RON 6.13

36.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.70 RON 8.05

44.12%

Eggs

$4.66 €4.15

$3.79 RON 17.93

22.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.38 €19.90

$8.86 RON 41.90

152.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 €10.81

$6.90 RON 32.67

76.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.15 €20.59

$12.14 RON 57.4

90.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.30 RON 6.17

87.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.60 RON 7.55

55.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$1.57 RON 7.42

80.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 €2.80

$2.68 RON 12.67

17.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$0.81 RON 3.82

214.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.62

$0.79 RON 3.73

272.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.91 RON 4.30

48.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.77

$0.97 RON 4.58

-10.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.32 €11.85

$6.41 RON 30.34

107.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 €7.03

$6.18 RON 29.24

27.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.36

$1.23 RON 5.83

116.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.88

$1.67 RON 7.91

93.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €2.02

$0.87 RON 4.10

160.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 €73.0

$20.98 RON 99.3

291.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 €2.47

$0.66 RON 3.10

321.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.60 RON 2.85

256.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.61 €37.01

$6.19 RON 29.28

572.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.93 RON 9.15

7.25%

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

$34.2K €30.4K

$28.7K RON 135.9K

19.06%

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

$34.5K €30.7K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

31.11%

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

$228 €203

$196 RON 926

16.39%

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

$17.89 €15.91

$8.49 RON 40.19

110.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.85 €31.00

$9.05 RON 42.84

285.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.36 €31.45

$49.54 RON 234

-28.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

Cinema Ticket

$14.48 €12.88

$8.24 RON 39.01

75.73%

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

$625 €556

$636 RON 3,007

-1.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.0K

$14.6K RON 69.0K

-22.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €97.7

$88.5 RON 419

24.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.57 €38.75

$38.77 RON 183

12.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$78.8 RON 373

33.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$90.6 RON 428

41.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €900

$695 RON 3,288

45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 €582

$446 RON 2,109

46.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 €1,017

$1,084 RON 5,130

5.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 €769

$712 RON 3,368

21.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,922 €3,488

$3,797 RON 18.0K

3.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,939 €2,614

$2,202 RON 10.4K

33.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,283 €3,810

$1,354 RON 6,406

216.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.77

6.75

-44.15%

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

Last update for Villeurbanne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Villeurbanne

$655 33.7%

Bucharest

$446 33.3% 31.9% $209

Groceries & Markets

Villeurbanne

$375 19.3%

Bucharest

$225 16.9% 39.8% $149

Eating Out

Villeurbanne

$290 15%

Bucharest

$226 16.9% 22.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Villeurbanne

$280 14.4%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 24% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Villeurbanne

$174 8.9%

Bucharest

$133 10% 23.2% $40

Getting Around

Villeurbanne

$105 5.4%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 73.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Villeurbanne

$64 3.3%

Bucharest

$66 4.9% 2.7% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,011 in Villeurbanne and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Villeurbanne pays 216% 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: $67.0 in Villeurbanne vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Villeurbanne

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

11:56 11:56 AM

12:56 12:56 PM

1 h ahead of Villeurbanne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,928

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Villeurbanne Bucharest 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Villeurbanne
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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

Villeurbanne vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Villeurbanne and Bucharest differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,943 vs $1,337 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 216% higher in Villeurbanne, 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: $1,011 in Villeurbanne versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,943 per month in Villeurbanne versus $1,337 in Bucharest – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 291% less than in Villeurbanne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $1,943 in Villeurbanne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Villeurbanne. 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, Villeurbanne 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 45% less than in Villeurbanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.