How much does Bucharest cost per day in 2026?

Budget $30 (hostel dorm + street food + metro), midrange $80 (three-star near Piața Unirii + sit-down dinners + occasional Bolt ride), luxury $200+ (Athenee Palace Hilton or InterContinental on Bulevardul Nicolae Bălcescu + prix fixe at The Artist + private driver). The budget tier is where Bucharest gets interesting compared to other EU capitals. A dorm bed around Centru Vechi runs 50-70 RON ($11-15) per night. You can eat three meals and a coffee for 60-80 RON ($13-18) if you stay off the Lipscani terrace strip. Midrange lands around 360 RON/day ($80). That breaks down to roughly 220 RON ($48) for a three-star near Piața Universității, 30 RON ($6.60) for a daily-menu lunch, 80 RON ($18) for dinner with Romanian wine, and 30 RON ($6.60) on transit plus an afternoon coffee. Prices on Strada Lipscani have risen about 35% since 2022, but walk two blocks north toward Piața Romană and you're back in local-price territory.

The budget food move in Bucharest is the meniu zilei, the daily set menu aimed at office workers. For 25-40 RON ($5.50-$8.80) you get a soup, a main course, and sometimes a small dessert at neighborhood cantina-style spots. Look near Piața Victoriei or along Calea Dorobanți for places where the menu is handwritten in Romanian and the kitchen smells like slow-cooked ciorbă de burtă. The warm, sour tang of that tripe broth is Bucharest in a bowl. For the cheapest hot food, Obor Market sells grilled mici for about 15 RON ($3.30) a plate, served on wax paper with cheap yellow mustard and a hunk of white bread. The charcoal smoke is thick enough to taste two stalls away. Avoid the terraces on Strada Lipscani for meals. A plate of sarmale that runs 28-35 RON at a neighborhood spot near Piața Victoriei costs 55-65 RON on Lipscani, and the Lipscani version tends to be microwaved. Some places quietly add a 12-15% service charge that locals never pay.

Bucharest has two transit networks that don't talk to each other. Metrorex runs the subway. STB runs everything above ground, including buses, trams, and trolleybuses. A single metro ride costs 3 RON ($0.66). The STB Multiplu card works across all surface lines, and a 1-day surface pass runs about 8 RON ($1.76). That breaks even after 2 rides. The metro sells its own separate day pass for around 8 RON. No combined ticket exists. If you're based in Centru Vechi and heading to Herăstrău Park (officially King Michael I Park since 2017), the M2 metro line from Piața Unirii to Aviatorilor handles it in 15 minutes. The Palace of the Parliament is a 12-minute walk south from Piața Unirii station, so don't bother with a taxi. For Henri Coandă Airport, the Express Bus 783 from Piața Unirii costs 3.50 RON ($0.77) and takes 40-50 minutes. A Bolt ride runs 80-100 RON ($18-22). The math is obvious.

The Palace of the Parliament charges 50 RON ($11) for the standard tour and requires a passport or national ID at the door. No exceptions. Summer tickets sell out by 10:00, so book on their site the night before. The National Museum of Art of Romania, housed in the former Royal Palace on Calea Victoriei since 1948, costs 30 RON ($6.60). The Romanian Peasant Museum on Șoseaua Kiseleff, open since 1906, costs 15 RON ($3.30). The ground-floor hall of carved wooden church gates is worth the entry alone. You can feel the rough-hewn grain under your fingers on some of the older pieces. Free things that fill real time. The Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral, founded in 1658, sits on Dealul Mitropoliei with a clear view south across the city. Cool stone interior, candle smoke, quiet even at midday. Herăstrău Park covers 187 hectares with a lakeside gravel path that takes about 90 minutes to loop. Curtea Veche, the ruined princely court on Strada Franceză, is visible from the street at no charge.

Watch out for a few things. Taxi scams still happen at Gara de Nord and Henri Coandă Airport. At the airport, use the touchscreen kiosks in the arrivals hall to summon a metered cab. Euronet ATMs, the bright yellow ones clustered near tourist areas, charge 15-25 RON ($3.30-$5.50) per withdrawal. Use BRD, BCR, or Banca Transilvania machines instead. At sit-down restaurants, 10% tipping is expected, but check whether the bill already includes a service charge before you double up. Mind you, some budget hostels in Centru Vechi advertise 45 RON/night but tack on a city tax of 5-8 RON and a linen fee of 10 RON that only appears at checkout. Ask about total price upfront. Worth noting, too, that several museums close on both Monday and Tuesday, so plan your museum day for Wednesday through Sunday or you'll find locked doors.