Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilhelmshaven and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,881 in Wilhelmshaven, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Wilhelmshaven
Learn more

Wilhelmshaven Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

Jump to prices

Wilhelmshaven

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,881

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,881 in Wilhelmshaven versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Wilhelmshaven $1,881
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,848 in Wilhelmshaven versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Wilhelmshaven $2,848
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,816 in Wilhelmshaven versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Wilhelmshaven $3,816
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Wilhelmshaven is roughly 40% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wilhelmshaven is 39% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.26 €11.79

$14.49 RON 68.6

-8.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.6 €74.4

$58.1 RON 275

43.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.75 €14.01

$7.48 RON 35.40

110.56%

Cappuccino

$3.82 €3.39

$3.44 RON 16.29

11.05%

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

$6.66 €5.93

$2.37 RON 11.22

181.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.01

$2.30 RON 10.88

47.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.25 €4.67

$3.70 RON 17.51

41.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 €5.60

$4.16 RON 19.69

51.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.67 RON 7.90

-33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.37 RON 6.50

52.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.36

$1.72 RON 8.14

119.77%

Eggs

$3.61 €3.21

$3.64 RON 17.22

-0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.21 €12.64

$9.08 RON 42.98

56.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.13 €10.79

$6.84 RON 32.35

77.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.18 €20.62

$12.00 RON 56.8

93.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.23 RON 5.80

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.63 RON 7.73

10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.57 RON 7.45

33.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 €4.62

$2.54 RON 12.01

104.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.79 RON 3.75

75.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$0.77 RON 3.66

72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 €1.56

$0.87 RON 4.13

102.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$0.99 RON 4.70

6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 €8.60

$6.31 RON 29.86

53.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 €4.89

$6.20 RON 29.34

-11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$1.19 RON 5.63

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.57 RON 7.45

5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 €2.48

$0.86 RON 4.08

223.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 €48.16

$21.10 RON 99.8

156.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.72

$1.96 RON 9.25

-1.02%

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

$31.1K €27.7K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

7.24%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

44.40%

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

$292 €259

$196 RON 927

48.85%

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

$11.00 €9.79

$8.04 RON 38.04

36.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 €38.26

$9.35 RON 44.21

360.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.85 €24.77

$50.2 RON 238

-44.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 €13.65

$8.15 RON 38.55

88.34%

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

$841 €748

$628 RON 2,971

33.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €99.9

$89.6 RON 424

25.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.82 €34.53

$38.32 RON 181

1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.5 €49.33

$79.3 RON 375

-30.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$237 €210

$90.4 RON 428

161.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 €689

$678 RON 3,209

14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 €530

$448 RON 2,121

33.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 €926

$1,083 RON 5,125

-3.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 €895

$725 RON 3,430

38.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 €3,438

$3,751 RON 17.7K

3.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,197 €1,955

$2,195 RON 10.4K

0.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,193 €2,840

$1,329 RON 6,290

140.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

6.75

-41.48%

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

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: 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

Wilhelmshaven

$596 31.7%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 24.8% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilhelmshaven

$346 18.4%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 38.3% $132

Groceries & Markets

Wilhelmshaven

$338 18%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 33.4% $113

Eating Out

Wilhelmshaven

$278 14.8%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 19% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Wilhelmshaven

$199 10.6%

Bucharest

$134 10% 32.8% $65

Getting Around

Wilhelmshaven

$65 * 3.5%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 56.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Wilhelmshaven

$59 3.1%

Bucharest

$67 5% 13.6% $8

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 $774 in Wilhelmshaven and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilhelmshaven pays 140% 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: $84.0 in Wilhelmshaven vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $225 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Wilhelmshaven

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

13:15 1:15 PM

1 h ahead of Wilhelmshaven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,728

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wilhelmshaven Bucharest 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Wilhelmshaven
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

Wilhelmshaven vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wilhelmshaven and Bucharest differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,881 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 140% higher in Wilhelmshaven, 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: $774 in Wilhelmshaven versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,881 per month in Wilhelmshaven versus $1,340 in Bucharest – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 157% less than in Wilhelmshaven. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,881 in Wilhelmshaven, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Wilhelmshaven. 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, Wilhelmshaven 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 40% less than in Wilhelmshaven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.