Bucharest at a glance
- Bucharest ranks 7th of 8 priced cities in Romania on cost: $1,108 a month in essentials, 40% above Oradea, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,427 covers that 1.3×.
- 94.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at commune level.
- PM2.5 averages 19.2 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 8 Romania cities we track, so every row says whether Bucharest is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,108 | $1,050 | $58 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $464 | $450 | $14 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $701 | $588 | $112 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $125 | $120 | $5 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $287 | $254 | $34 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $210 | $179 | $31 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $22 | $23 | $1 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,427 | $1,162 | $265 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $733 | $704 | $28 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,125 | $1,004 | $121 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Bucharest, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13.12 | $11.76 | $1.36 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $60.14 | $51.40 | $8.74 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.44 | $7.65 | $0.21 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.53 | $3.34 | $0.19 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.50 | $3.17 | $0.33 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.37 | $3.72 | $0.65 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.37 | $2.20 | $0.17 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.28 | $1.84 | $0.44 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.66 | $1.58 | $0.07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.27 | $1.27 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.65 | $1.69 | $0.04 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.77 | $3.45 | $0.32 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $9.26 | $8.89 | $0.37 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $7.30 | $6.51 | $0.79 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $1.26 | $1.32 | $0.06 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.65 | $1.62 | $0.02 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.71 | $2.62 | $0.09 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.79 | $0.85 | $0.06 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.72 | $0.95 | 1.33× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.96 | $0.90 | $0.06 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.09 | $0.82 | 1.33× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $21.87 | $22.96 | $1.09 |
| Taxi start | $0.66 | $0.87 | 1.32× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.66 | $0.84 | 1.27× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.95 | $1.85 | $0.09 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $199.39 | $170.81 | $28.58 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $10.47 | $9.16 | $1.31 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $8.35 | $8.12 | $0.23 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $52.40 | $47.28 | $5.12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.75 | $8.75 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Bucharest has 94.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (commune level). That is the 4th-highest of 8 Romania cities we track. Romania's national figure is 105, so Bucharest runs 10 below the country as a whole.
Every Romania region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Bucharest ranks against every city we track
Bucharest sits ahead of 80% of the 892 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On safety it is ahead of 75% of 562. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 19% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Bucharest sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Madalin Pentelie, CC0.
