Cost of living in Bucharest
A 10% flat income tax, the fastest consumer internet in Europe, and Western European costs nowhere in sight.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $600, Food $385, Transport $45, Utilities $131, Healthcare $17, Lifestyle $99, Other $54.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Estimated $600
Salary and tax in Bucharest
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $4,000 | $14,000 | $1,833 | 45.0% | $503 |
| $75,000 | $7,500 | $26,250 | $3,437 | 45.0% | $2,107 |
| $120,000 | $12,000 | $42,000 | $5,500 | 45.0% | $4,169 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 | $70,000 | $9,167 | 45.0% | $7,836 |
- Flat 10% income tax on top of 35% employee contributions.
People who actually live in Bucharest
Quality of life
A year of weather in Bucharest
Average monthly temperature in Bucharest: January 3 degrees, February 2.8 degrees, March 8.5 degrees, April 12.5 degrees, May 16.3 degrees, June 23.8 degrees, July 26.9 degrees, August 25.9 degrees, September 20.6 degrees, October 13.4 degrees, November 7.2 degrees, December 3.5 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived36%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated64%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
Prices in Bucharest
| Item | USD | RON |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | ||
| One-bedroom, city centre | $600 | RON 2,865 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $450 | RON 2,149 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $1,100 | RON 5,252 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $800 | RON 3,820 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $2,400 | RON 11,460 |
| Bills | ||
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $170 | RON 812 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $12 | RON 57 |
| Mobile plan | $8.00 | RON 38 |
| Food | ||
| Groceries, one adult per month | $242 | RON 1,156 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $8.21 | RON 39 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $41 | RON 196 |
| Coffee | $2.87 | RON 14 |
| Beer in a bar | $3.08 | RON 15 |
| Transport | ||
| Monthly transit pass | $20 | RON 95 |
| Taxi, per km | $0.70 | RON 3.34 |
| Petrol, per litre | $1.55 | RON 7.40 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | ||
| Health insurance, per adult | $50 | RON 239 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $30 | RON 143 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $350 | RON 1,671 |
| International school, per year | $13,000 | RON 62,074 |
| Gym membership | $30 | RON 143 |
| Cinema ticket | $6.94 | RON 33 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
Digital-nomad visa available; income thresholds are high relative to local wages.
1 USD ≈ RON 4.77
Europe/Bucharest
continental climate
Compare Bucharest with…
Getting set up in Bucharest
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Bucharest — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
No submissions yet. Yours would be the first.
We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Bucharest?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $1,331 a month, of which $600 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $1,852, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $3,541.
Is Bucharest expensive?
On our index Bucharest scores 21 where New York is 100 — about 79% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $1,200 a month covers 0.9× that budget.
What salary do you need in Bucharest?
To cover the single-adult budget of $1,331 a month after tax, you need roughly $29,000 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Bucharest?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $600 a month, $450 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $1,100 central and $800 further out.
Can you work remotely from Bucharest?
Digital-nomad visa available; income thresholds are high relative to local wages.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.