Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bielsko-biala and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,480 in Bielsko-biala, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bielsko-biala outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

72

Cost of Living Index in Bielsko-biala
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Bielsko-biala Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Bielsko-biala

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,480

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,480 in Bielsko-biala versus $1,340 in Bucharest.

Bielsko-biala $1,480
Bucharest $1,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Bielsko-biala versus $2,037 in Bucharest.

Bielsko-biala $2,131
Bucharest $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,782 in Bielsko-biala versus $2,734 in Bucharest.

Bielsko-biala $2,782
Bucharest $2,734

Living in Bielsko-biala is roughly 10% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bielsko-biala is 10% above, Bucharest is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.45 zł 36.70

$14.49 RON 68.6

-34.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.98 zł 179

$58.1 RON 275

-20.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 zł 34.76

$7.48 RON 35.40

19.65%

Cappuccino

$3.61 zł 14.03

$3.44 RON 16.29

4.94%

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

$2.21 zł 8.60

$2.37 RON 11.22

-6.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 zł 5.27

$2.30 RON 10.88

-40.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 zł 14.66

$3.70 RON 17.51

1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 zł 14.73

$4.16 RON 19.69

-8.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 zł 4.03

$1.67 RON 7.90

-37.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 zł 4.30

$1.37 RON 6.50

-18.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 zł 5.40

$1.72 RON 8.14

-19.19%

Eggs

$2.87 zł 11.16

$3.64 RON 17.22

-21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 zł 31.95

$9.08 RON 42.98

-9.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 zł 22.77

$6.84 RON 32.35

-14.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.75 zł 37.88

$12.00 RON 56.8

-18.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.56

$1.23 RON 5.80

-4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 zł 6.25

$1.63 RON 7.73

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 zł 8.19

$1.57 RON 7.45

34.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 zł 7.53

$2.54 RON 12.01

-23.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 zł 3.10

$0.79 RON 3.75

1.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 zł 3.07

$0.77 RON 3.66

2.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 zł 4.03

$0.87 RON 4.13

19.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 zł 2.41

$0.99 RON 4.70

-37.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 zł 19.09

$6.31 RON 29.86

-22.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 zł 24.61

$6.20 RON 29.34

2.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.29

$1.19 RON 5.63

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 zł 6.41

$1.57 RON 7.45

5.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 zł 4.85

$0.86 RON 4.08

45.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.33 zł 141

$21.10 RON 99.8

72.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 zł 5.85

$0.64 RON 3.05

135.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 zł 2.09

$0.60 RON 2.86

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.36 zł 36.38

$6.43 RON 30.43

45.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.46

$1.96 RON 9.25

-15.31%

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

$30.8K zł 119.7K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

6.23%

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

$25.6K zł 99.5K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

-3.82%

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

$291 zł 1,132

$196 RON 927

48.78%

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

$8.48 zł 32.95

$8.04 RON 38.04

5.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.92 zł 65.8

$9.35 RON 44.21

80.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.85 zł 159

$50.2 RON 238

-18.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.81 zł 174

$25.33 RON 120

76.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 zł 27.51

$8.15 RON 38.55

-13.13%

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

$286 zł 1,111

$628 RON 2,971

-54.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,529 zł 9,825

$14.1K RON 66.6K

-82.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 zł 283

$89.6 RON 424

-18.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 zł 156

$38.32 RON 181

4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 zł 343

$79.3 RON 375

11.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 zł 370

$90.4 RON 428

5.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 zł 2,351

$678 RON 3,209

-10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 zł 2,139

$448 RON 2,121

22.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 zł 6,606

$1,083 RON 5,125

56.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 zł 3,355

$725 RON 3,430

19.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,428 zł 9,433

$3,751 RON 17.7K

-35.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 zł 7,545

$2,195 RON 10.4K

-11.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,435 zł 5,574

$1,329 RON 6,290

7.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

6.75

1.78%

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

Last update for Bielsko-biala: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bielsko-biala

$551 37.2%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 18.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bielsko-biala

$317 21.4%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 32.7% $104

Groceries & Markets

Bielsko-biala

$192 13%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 16.9% $33

Eating Out

Bielsko-biala

$186 12.6%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 20.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Bielsko-biala

$133 9%

Bucharest

$134 10% 0.4% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Bielsko-biala

$55 3.7%

Bucharest

$67 5% 20.9% $12

Getting Around

Bielsko-biala

$46 3.1%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 38% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $605 in Bielsko-biala and $678 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bielsko-biala pays 8% 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: $46.00 in Bielsko-biala vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $225 per month, with Bielsko-biala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bielsko-biala

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

1 h ahead of Bielsko-biala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,756

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bielsko-biala Bucharest 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bielsko-biala
Bucharest

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

Bielsko-biala vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bielsko-biala and Bucharest differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,480 vs $1,340 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Bielsko-biala, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $605 in Bielsko-biala versus $678 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 72% less than in Bielsko-biala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $286 in Bielsko-biala versus $628 in Bucharest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,480 in Bielsko-biala, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Bielsko-biala. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest 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, Bielsko-biala 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Bielsko-biala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.