Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Brno

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $1,880 in Brno, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Brno
Learn more

Brno Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Brno

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Brno

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,880 in Brno.

Bucharest $1,351
Brno $1,880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $2,627 in Brno.

Bucharest $2,033
Brno $2,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $3,373 in Brno.

Bucharest $2,715
Brno $3,373

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 28% less than in Brno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bucharest 1% above, Brno 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$9.32 Kč 203

55.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$45.93 Kč 998

25.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$9.15 Kč 199

-18.03%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$3.61 Kč 78.4

-4.99%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$1.73 Kč 37.51

42.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$1.29 Kč 28.08

80.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$2.69 Kč 58.6

41.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$2.81 Kč 61.1

45.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$1.13 Kč 24.48

46.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$1.39 Kč 30.23

-2.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$2.34 Kč 50.8

-23.93%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$3.60 Kč 78.2

1.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$12.81 Kč 278

-33.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$9.14 Kč 199

-25.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$16.61 Kč 361

-29.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$1.80 Kč 39.10

-28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$1.76 Kč 38.33

-11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$2.13 Kč 46.34

-27.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$3.25 Kč 70.6

-23.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$1.05 Kč 22.91

-20.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.06 Kč 22.93

-24.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.56 Kč 33.88

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.72 Kč 15.55

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$7.47 Kč 162

-13.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$6.96 Kč 151

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$0.90 Kč 19.45

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.63 Kč 35.36

-1.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$1.18 Kč 25.58

-31.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$24.78 Kč 539

-14.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$2.83 Kč 61.5

-78.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$1.89 Kč 41.04

-67.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$16.71 Kč 363

-63.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.89 Kč 40.98

3.70%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$31.7K Kč 688.8K

-11.19%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$29.7K Kč 645.0K

-11.43%

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

$197 RON 931

$296 Kč 6,442

-33.59%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$22.10 Kč 480

-62.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$19.27 Kč 419

-52.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$53.7 Kč 1,166

-7.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$12.92 Kč 281

93.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$12.78 Kč 278

-33.80%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$727 Kč 15.8K

-12.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$11.8K Kč 255.6K

22.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$84.0 Kč 1,824

7.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$37.32 Kč 811

1.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$101 Kč 2,188

-20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$122 Kč 2,648

-23.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$954 Kč 20.7K

-29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$809 Kč 17.6K

-44.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$1,518 Kč 33.0K

-27.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$1,191 Kč 25.9K

-38.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$6,265 Kč 136.2K

-40.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$5,258 Kč 114.3K

-58.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$1,862 Kč 40.5K

-28.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

4.65

44.95%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Brno: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Brno

$809 43.3% 80.2% $360

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Brno

$176 9.5% 21.8% $49

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Brno

$269 14.4% 21.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Brno

$338 18.1% 57.6% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Brno

$155 8.3% 14% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Brno

$79 4.2% 18.7% $12

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Brno

$42 2.2% 48.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $954 in Brno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brno pays 41% 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 $46.00 in Brno. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $269, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇨🇿 Brno

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

380,127

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

100 CZK = 4.6 USD

100 CZK = 4.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.73 CZK (100 CZK = 4.6 USD). 1 EUR = 24.37 CZK (100 CZK = 4.1 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Brno 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Brno

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 Brno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Brno. 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $954 in Brno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bucharest – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $46.00 in Brno. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $1,880 in Brno – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,880 in Brno, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Brno. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bucharest is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brno, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Brno 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 39% less than in Brno. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.