Budget · Bucharest · Romania
Bucharest on a budget
What a trip to Bucharest really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Bucharest is affordable for most international visitors. Budget roughly $45–$75 per person per day on a tight budget, $100–$180 mid-range and $250–$500 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–February.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $45–$75 a day
- Mid-range
- $100–$180 a day
- Luxury
- $250–$500 a day
- Local currency
- RON
- Free sights
- 9
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $45–$75 | $135–$225 | $225–$375 | $315–$525 |
| Mid-range | $100–$180 | $300–$540 | $500–$900 | $700–$1,260 |
| Luxury | $250–$500 | $750–$1,500 | $1,250–$2,500 | $1,750–$3,500 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Bucharest, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Metro or bus single trip | about 3–5 lei |
| Espresso at a café | about 10–18 lei |
| Covrig from a bakery window | about 2–4 lei |
| Portion of mici with bread | about 20–40 lei |
| Half-litre of local beer | about 12–20 lei |
| Dinner at a traditional restaurant | about 80–150 lei per person |
Money-saving tips
- Use the express bus or train from the airport rather than an unbooked taxi.
- Ride-hailing apps are inexpensive and avoid taxi disputes.
- Weekday lunch menus cost far less than dinner.
- Many central sights, from Stavropoleos to Calea Victoriei and the parks, are free.
- Pay by card where possible and decline dynamic currency conversion, paying in lei.
Free things to do
- Old Town and Lipscani — Bucharest's historic merchant quarter is named after Lipscani street, where traders once sold goods from Leipzig.
- Stavropoleos Monastery — A tiny 1720s church in the Brâncovenesc style, with a carved stone portico, painted facade and a courtyard lined with old gravestones.
- Cărturești Carusel — A restored 19th-century building on Lipscani street converted into a bookshop with white spiralling balconies under a glass roof.
- Calea Victoriei — The city's oldest grand avenue runs about 2.7 km from the Dâmbovița river to Piața Victoriei, past the domed CEC Palace, the Military Circle, the glass-roofed Macca-Villacrosse Passage, the former Royal Palace and the Athenaeum.
- Revolution Square — On 21 December 1989, Ceaușescu gave his last speech from the balcony of the former Communist Party headquarters here before fleeing by helicopter from the roof the next day.
- King Michael I Park (Herăstrău) — One of Bucharest's largest parks surrounds Herăstrău Lake in the north of the city, with lakeside promenades, boat hire, a Japanese garden, cafés and restaurant terraces.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for food lovers, budget and solo travellers
Piața Romană and Amzei
Central squares with cafés, a covered market and student bars
$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples and culture
Cotroceni
Villa quarter with the Botanical Garden and Cotroceni Palace
$$ · Best for budget, first-timers and families
Unirii and the Parliament
Monumental socialist boulevards around Piața Unirii and the Palace of the Parliament
Eating well for less
- Mici — Beer gardens, grill terraces and markets; a summer and May Day favourite.
- Covrigi — Covrigi windows near metro stations and on main streets, often open from early morning.
- Plăcintă — Bakeries and patisseries across the city.
- Aubergine salad — Restaurant starters menus and deli counters.
- Zacuscă — Restaurant starters and jars in markets and shops.
Getting around for less
Day and multi-day passes
STB and Metrorex sell 24-hour and longer passes; check whether a pass covers both networks before buying.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Bucharest cost?
About $500–$900 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $225–$375 on a tight budget.
+Is Bucharest expensive?
It is affordable for international visitors. Use the express bus or train from the airport rather than an unbooked taxi.
+How much money do I need per day in Bucharest?
Roughly $45–$75 on a budget and $100–$180 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Bucharest?
Usually in January–February.