Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Augustow

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,574 in Augustow, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Augustow
Learn more

Augustow Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Augustow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Augustow

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucharest and in Augustow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,574 in Augustow.

Bucharest $1,340
Augustow $1,574

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,298 in Augustow.

Bucharest $2,037
Augustow $2,298

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,021 in Augustow.

Bucharest $2,734
Augustow $3,021

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 15% less than in Augustow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Augustow is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$11.44 zł 44.44

26.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$60.1 zł 233

-3.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$10.06 zł 39.08

-25.65%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$4.22 zł 16.39

-18.48%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.28 zł 8.86

3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$2.26 zł 8.79

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$4.55 zł 17.69

-18.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$5.04 zł 19.56

-17.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.04 zł 4.04

60.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.51 zł 5.87

-9.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.61 zł 6.26

6.83%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.77 zł 14.64

-3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$8.83 zł 34.30

2.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.31 zł 24.53

8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$14.49 zł 56.3

-17.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.16 zł 4.52

6.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.66 zł 6.44

-1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.71 zł 6.65

-8.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$3.92 zł 15.24

-35.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.90 zł 3.51

-12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.93 zł 3.63

-17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.44 zł 5.60

-39.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.70 zł 2.70

41.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$6.48 zł 25.16

-2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.38 zł 24.80

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.14 zł 4.43

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.72 zł 6.69

-8.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.12 zł 4.35

-23.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$29.87 zł 116

-29.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$2.50 zł 9.72

-74.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.30 zł 5.05

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$12.97 zł 50.4

-50.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.70 zł 6.61

15.29%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.0K zł 116.6K

-3.41%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$29.9K zł 116.1K

-10.83%

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

$196 RON 927

$349 zł 1,355

-43.83%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$9.00 zł 34.99

-10.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$16.11 zł 62.6

-41.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$43.55 zł 169

15.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$20.49 zł 79.6

23.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$9.20 zł 35.73

-11.41%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$594 zł 2,307

5.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$14.4K zł 55.9K

-2.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$109 zł 424

-17.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$39.15 zł 152

-2.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$107 zł 414

-25.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$113 zł 439

-20.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$611 zł 2,374

11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$475 zł 1,845

-5.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,067 zł 4,147

1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$749 zł 2,908

-3.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,951 zł 11.5K

27.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,243 zł 8,715

-2.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,441 zł 5,600

-7.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.68

1.05%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Augustow: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Augustow

$475 30.2% 5.9% $27

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Augustow

$223 14.2% 0.8% $1.9

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Augustow

$231 14.7% 2.8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Augustow

$374 23.7% 75.3% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Augustow

$166 10.5% 23.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Augustow

$62 3.9% 6.9% $4.6

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Augustow

$43 2.8% 53.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $611 in Augustow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Augustow 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: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $60.0 in Augustow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $231 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Augustow

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

03:09 3:09 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

29,785

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Augustow 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Augustow

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

Bucharest vs Augustow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Augustow. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bucharest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Augustow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $611 in Augustow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Bucharest versus $594 in Augustow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Augustow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,574 in Augustow, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Augustow. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bucharest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,340 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bucharest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Augustow 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 17% less than in Augustow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.