Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Jelenia Gora

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Jelenia Gora: $1,340 and $1,404 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Jelenia Gora
Learn more

Jelenia Gora Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Jelenia Gora

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,404

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Jelenia Gora

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,404 in Jelenia Gora.

Bucharest $1,340
Jelenia Gora $1,404

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,941 in Jelenia Gora.

Bucharest $2,037
Jelenia Gora $1,941

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,478 in Jelenia Gora.

Bucharest $2,734
Jelenia Gora $2,478

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 5% less than in Jelenia Gora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Jelenia Gora is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$9.78 zł 37.98

48.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$46.06 zł 179

26.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$8.85 zł 34.37

-15.48%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$3.66 zł 14.22

-6.01%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.25 zł 8.74

5.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.77 zł 6.86

29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$4.56 zł 17.73

-18.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$4.17 zł 16.18

-0.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.87 zł 3.37

91.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.11 zł 4.32

23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.34 zł 5.19

28.36%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.43 zł 13.33

6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$10.75 zł 41.75

-15.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.21 zł 24.13

10.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$11.87 zł 46.11

1.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$0.93 zł 3.63

32.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.63 zł 6.32

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$2.33 zł 9.04

-32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.83 zł 11.01

-10.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.78 zł 3.02

1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.93 zł 3.62

-17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.39 zł 5.38

-37.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.49 zł 1.91

102.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.76 zł 22.37

9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.78 zł 26.33

-8.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.03 zł 4.02

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.54 zł 6.00

1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$45.29 zł 176

-53.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.51 zł 5.87

-57.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.58 zł 2.26

3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$9.30 zł 36.15

-30.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.69 zł 6.56

15.98%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.5K zł 118.4K

-4.81%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$26.6K zł 103.5K

0.04%

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

$196 RON 927

$231 zł 898

-15.27%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$8.61 zł 33.44

-6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$17.32 zł 67.3

-46.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$30.52 zł 119

64.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$16.78 zł 65.2

50.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$7.76 zł 30.16

5.03%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$516 zł 2,005

21.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$10.2K zł 39.8K

37.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$72.9 zł 283

22.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$40.36 zł 157

-5.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$89.7 zł 348

-11.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$95.6 zł 372

-5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$575 zł 2,234

17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$508 zł 1,974

-11.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$715 zł 2,776

51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$587 zł 2,282

23.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,182 zł 8,476

71.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,068 zł 8,036

6.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.7

18.42%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jelenia Gora: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Jelenia Gora

$508 36.2% 13.3% $60

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Jelenia Gora

$196 14% 13% $29

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Jelenia Gora

$213 15.2% 5.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Jelenia Gora

$257 18.3% 20.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Jelenia Gora

$134 9.6% 0.3% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Jelenia Gora

$46 3.3% 30.8% $20

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Jelenia Gora

$50 * 3.5% 76.2% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $575 in Jelenia Gora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $46.00 in Jelenia Gora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $213 per month, with Jelenia Gora cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Jelenia Gora

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

23:05 11:05 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

77,807

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

Bucharest Jelenia Gora 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Jelenia Gora

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 Jelenia Gora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Jelenia Gora differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,404 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,011 in Bucharest and $2,106 in Jelenia Gora to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $575 in Jelenia Gora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,404 in Jelenia Gora – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 115% less than in Jelenia Gora. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,404 in Jelenia Gora, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Jelenia Gora. 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, Bucharest and Jelenia Gora 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 5% less than in Jelenia Gora. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.