Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Bardejov

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Bardejov: $1,340 and $1,388 a month, rent and utilities included.

Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,340
/mo nomad
Bardejov
🇸🇰 Slovakia
$1,388
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Bardejov

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 Bardejov actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,388 in Bardejov.

  • Bucharest $1,340
  • Bardejov $1,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,989 in Bardejov.

  • Bucharest $2,037
  • Bardejov $1,989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,589 in Bardejov.

  • Bucharest $2,734
  • Bardejov $2,589

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 3% less than in Bardejov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Bardejov is 3% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.49 RON 68.6
$7.26 €6.46
99.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.1 RON 275
$24.81 €22.07
134.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.48 RON 35.40
$9.11 €8.10
-17.89%
Cappuccino
$3.44 RON 16.29
$1.99 €1.77
72.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 RON 11.22
$1.31 €1.17
80.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 RON 10.88
$0.70 €0.62
228.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.70 RON 17.51
$1.77 €1.57
109.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 RON 19.69
$2.25 €2.00
84.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 RON 7.90
$1.05 €0.93
59.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 RON 6.50
$1.33 €1.18
3.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 RON 8.14
$1.65 €1.47
4.24%
Eggs
$3.64 RON 17.22
$3.49 €3.10
4.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.08 RON 42.98
$12.71 €11.30
-28.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.84 RON 32.35
$6.53 €5.81
4.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.00 RON 56.8
$12.81 €11.39
-6.32%
Apples (1kg)
$1.23 RON 5.80
$1.16 €1.03
6.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.73
$1.72 €1.53
-5.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$2.42 €2.15
-35.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.54 RON 12.01
$2.39 €2.12
6.28%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 RON 3.75
$1.01 €0.90
-21.78%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.66
$1.07 €0.95
-28.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 RON 4.13
$1.62 €1.44
-46.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 RON 4.70
$0.82 €0.73
20.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.31 RON 29.86
$5.84 €5.19
8.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.20 RON 29.34
$5.52 €4.91
12.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 RON 5.63
$1.00 €0.89
19.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 RON 7.45
$1.33 €1.18
18.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 RON 4.08
$0.65 €0.58
32.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.10 RON 99.8
$27.62 €24.56
-23.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 RON 3.05
$1.63 €1.45
-60.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 RON 2.86
$1.22 €1.08
-50.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.43 RON 30.43
$22.31 €19.85
-71.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.96 RON 9.25
$1.71 €1.52
14.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K RON 137.2K
$25.8K €23.0K
12.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K RON 126.0K
$24.7K €22.0K
7.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 RON 927
$327 €291
-40.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.04 RON 38.04
$16.58 €14.75
-51.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.35 RON 44.21
$20.26 €18.02
-53.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.2 RON 238
$42.08 €37.43
19.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.33 RON 120
$17.09 €15.20
48.22%
Cinema Ticket
$8.15 RON 38.55
$9.20 €8.18
-11.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 RON 2,971
$408 €363
53.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.1K RON 66.6K
$10.6K €9,450
32.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.6 RON 424
$69.6 €61.9
28.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.32 RON 181
$30.66 €27.27
24.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 RON 375
$81.6 €72.6
-2.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.4 RON 428
$92.9 €82.7
-2.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$678 RON 3,209
$572 €509
18.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 RON 2,121
$440 €391
1.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 RON 5,125
$1,000 €890
8.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 RON 3,430
$789 €702
-8.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,751 RON 17.7K
$1,879 €1,671
99.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,195 RON 10.4K
$1,475 €1,312
48.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bucharest
Bardejov
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,329 RON 6,290
$866 €770
53.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
3.79
78.10%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bardejov: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
$448
Bardejov
$440 1.9% $8.4
Eating Out
Bucharest
$225
Bardejov
$131 42% $95
Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
$225
Bardejov
$231 2.8% $6.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
$213
Bardejov
$364 70.8% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
$134
Bardejov
$124 7.6% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
$67
Bardejov
$60 9.1% $6.1
Getting Around
Bucharest
$28
Bardejov
$38 34.5% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $572 in Bardejov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $25.00 in Bardejov. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $231, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🇸🇰 Bardejov
🕒 Local time
02:37 2:37 AM
01:37 1:37 AM
1 h behind Bucharest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,883,425 Capital
33,405
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bucharest Bardejov 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bucharest
  • Bardejov

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 Bardejov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bucharest and in Bardejov?
Bucharest and Bardejov differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,388 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bucharest or Bardejov?
Average pay runs 53% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bucharest and in Bardejov?
Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $572 in Bardejov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Bucharest and Bardejov?
Childcare runs $628 in Bucharest versus $408 in Bardejov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Bardejov. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,388 in Bardejov, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Bardejov. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bucharest and Bardejov?
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.
Is Bucharest or Bardejov safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bucharest and Bardejov are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Bucharest or Bardejov?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bardejov. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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