Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zărnești and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Zărnești: $889 a month against $1,337 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Zărnești
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Zărnești Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Zărnești

🇷🇴 Romania

$889

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Zărnești versus $1,337 in Bucharest.

Zărnești $889
Bucharest $1,337

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,383 in Zărnești versus $2,029 in Bucharest.

Zărnești $1,383
Bucharest $2,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,877 in Zărnești versus $2,721 in Bucharest.

Zărnești $1,877
Bucharest $2,721

Living in Zărnești costs roughly 34% less than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zărnești 34% lower, Bucharest 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 RON 42.60

$14.45 RON 68.4

-37.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.40 RON 201

$58.1 RON 275

-26.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.36 RON 39.57

$7.53 RON 35.65

11.02%

Cappuccino

$2.18 RON 10.34

$3.45 RON 16.33

-36.81%

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

$1.46 RON 6.90

$2.46 RON 11.65

-40.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.66

$2.23 RON 10.54

-46.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$3.76 RON 17.78

-49.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 RON 10.79

$4.19 RON 19.84

-45.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 RON 6.02

$1.62 RON 7.67

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.30 RON 6.13

-17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.81

$1.70 RON 8.05

-15.29%

Eggs

$2.79 RON 13.20

$3.79 RON 17.93

-26.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 RON 37.33

$8.86 RON 41.90

-10.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 RON 22.42

$6.90 RON 32.67

-31.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 RON 49.21

$12.14 RON 57.4

-14.33%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 RON 4.41

$1.30 RON 6.17

-28.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.30

$1.60 RON 7.55

-16.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 RON 6.02

$1.57 RON 7.42

-19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 RON 6.06

$2.68 RON 12.67

-52.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.67

$0.81 RON 3.82

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 RON 2.45

$0.79 RON 3.73

-34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.80

$0.91 RON 4.30

-12.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.63

$0.97 RON 4.58

-20.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 RON 24.37

$6.41 RON 30.34

-19.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 RON 35.09

$6.18 RON 29.24

20.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.08

$1.23 RON 5.83

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 6.12

$1.67 RON 7.91

-22.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.32

$0.87 RON 4.10

-19.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.32 RON 101

$20.98 RON 99.3

1.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.15

$0.66 RON 3.10

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 4.05

$0.60 RON 2.85

43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 RON 35.26

$6.19 RON 29.28

20.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 RON 7.16

$1.93 RON 9.15

-21.76%

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

$28.5K RON 134.9K

$28.7K RON 135.9K

-0.77%

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

$26.0K RON 122.9K

$26.3K RON 124.6K

-1.34%

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

$99.0 RON 468

$196 RON 926

-49.42%

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

$9.28 RON 43.89

$8.49 RON 40.19

9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.00 RON 37.86

$9.05 RON 42.84

-11.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.82 RON 179

$49.54 RON 234

-23.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 RON 91.9

$25.03 RON 118

-22.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.24 RON 29.55

$8.24 RON 39.01

-24.27%

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

$429 RON 2,031

$636 RON 3,007

-32.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,733 RON 36.6K

$14.6K RON 69.0K

-46.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.43 RON 210

$88.5 RON 419

-49.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 RON 129

$38.77 RON 183

-29.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 RON 326

$78.8 RON 373

-12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 RON 363

$90.6 RON 428

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 RON 2,054

$695 RON 3,288

-37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 RON 1,258

$446 RON 2,109

-40.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 RON 2,727

$1,084 RON 5,130

-46.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 RON 2,008

$712 RON 3,368

-40.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,751 RON 8,283

$3,797 RON 18.0K

-53.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,329 RON 6,288

$2,202 RON 10.4K

-39.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$510 RON 2,415

$1,354 RON 6,406

-62.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

6.75

10.67%

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

Last update for Zărnești: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zărnești

$266 29.9%

Bucharest

$446 33.3% 67.6% $180

Groceries & Markets

Zărnești

$182 20.4%

Bucharest

$225 16.9% 24.2% $44

Eating Out

Zărnești

$148 16.7%

Bucharest

$226 16.9% 52.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zărnești

$116 13.1%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 83.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Zărnești

$98 11%

Bucharest

$133 10% 36.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Zărnești

$50 5.7%

Bucharest

$66 4.9% 31.2% $16

Getting Around

Zărnești

$29 3.3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 4% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Zărnești and $695 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 165% 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: $42.00 in Zărnești vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $225 per month, with Zărnești cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Zărnești

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

Same time as Zărnești

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,926

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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

Zărnești vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zărnești and Bucharest differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($889 vs $1,337 including rent). Zărnești is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 165% 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: $434 in Zărnești versus $695 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $889 per month in Zărnești versus $1,337 in Bucharest – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zărnești runs roughly 2% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $889 in Zărnești versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zărnești but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Zărnești 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, Zărnești 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 Zărnești gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.