Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Biala Podlaska

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Biala Podlaska: $1,340 and $1,301 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Biala Podlaska
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Biala Podlaska Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Biala Podlaska

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,301

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Biala Podlaska

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,301 in Biala Podlaska.

Bucharest $1,340
Biala Podlaska $1,301

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,933 in Biala Podlaska.

Bucharest $2,037
Biala Podlaska $1,933

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,566 in Biala Podlaska.

Bucharest $2,734
Biala Podlaska $2,566

Living in Bucharest is roughly 3% more expensive than in Biala Podlaska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Biala Podlaska 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$7.49 zł 29.08

93.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$20.14 zł 78.2

188.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$9.05 zł 35.16

-17.35%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$3.59 zł 13.96

-4.18%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.74 zł 10.65

-13.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$2.75 zł 10.67

-16.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$4.45 zł 17.29

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$4.97 zł 19.30

-16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.94 zł 3.65

77.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.10 zł 4.26

24.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.40 zł 5.44

22.86%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.45 zł 13.41

5.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$10.74 zł 41.72

-15.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.97 zł 27.08

-1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$11.77 zł 45.71

1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.14 zł 4.41

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.61 zł 6.25

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.27 zł 8.83

-30.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.98 zł 11.57

-14.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.83 zł 3.22

-4.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.87 zł 3.36

-11.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.38 zł 5.37

-36.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.64 zł 2.48

54.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.78 zł 22.45

9.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.68 zł 25.95

-7.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.11 zł 4.30

7.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.68 zł 6.54

-6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.05 zł 4.08

-18.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$32.96 zł 128

-35.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.54 zł 5.98

-58.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.58 zł 2.25

3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$8.98 zł 34.88

-28.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.52 zł 5.89

28.95%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.6K zł 118.8K

-5.14%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$26.9K zł 104.5K

-0.94%

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

$196 RON 927

$192 zł 746

2.06%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$8.75 zł 34.00

-8.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$12.95 zł 50.3

-27.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$37.67 zł 146

33.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$20.03 zł 77.8

26.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$5.10 zł 19.82

59.80%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$502 zł 1,949

25.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$10.4K zł 40.2K

36.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$72.6 zł 282

23.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$40.33 zł 157

-4.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$87.6 zł 340

-9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$97.9 zł 380

-7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$655 zł 2,546

3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$458 zł 1,781

-2.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$982 zł 3,816

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$869 zł 3,375

-16.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,952 zł 11.5K

27.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,208 zł 8,579

-0.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,035 zł 4,022

28.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.87

-1.75%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Biala Podlaska: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Biala Podlaska

$458 35.2% 2.2% $10

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Biala Podlaska

$184 14.2% 18.2% $41

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Biala Podlaska

$221 17% 1.7% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Biala Podlaska

$214 16.4% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Biala Podlaska

$134 10.3% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Biala Podlaska

$48 3.7% 28% $19

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Biala Podlaska

$42 3.2% 47.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $655 in Biala Podlaska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 28% 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 $20.00 in Biala Podlaska for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $221 per month, with Biala Podlaska cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Biala Podlaska

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

04:40 4:40 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

56,760

💱 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 Biala Podlaska 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Biala Podlaska

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 Biala Podlaska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Biala Podlaska differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,301 including rent). Biala Podlaska is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Bucharest, 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: $678 in Bucharest versus $655 in Biala Podlaska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Bucharest versus $502 in Biala Podlaska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,301 in Biala Podlaska versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Biala Podlaska but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Biala Podlaska 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.

Expats usually find Biala Podlaska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.