Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Kielce

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Kielce: $1,340 and $1,403 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 Kielce
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Kielce Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Kielce

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Kielce

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,403 in Kielce.

Bucharest $1,340
Kielce $1,403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,984 in Kielce.

Bucharest $2,037
Kielce $1,984

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,565 in Kielce.

Bucharest $2,734
Kielce $2,565

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 4% less than in Kielce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$11.28 zł 43.84

28.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$38.33 zł 149

51.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$7.60 zł 29.54

-1.58%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.97 zł 11.55

15.82%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.47 zł 5.73

61.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.08 zł 4.18

112.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$3.35 zł 13.02

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.73 zł 14.49

11.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.04 zł 4.05

60.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.44 zł 5.58

-4.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.14 zł 4.45

50.88%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.24 zł 12.58

12.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.13 zł 27.71

27.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.38 zł 24.77

7.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$8.93 zł 34.68

34.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$0.93 zł 3.61

32.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.58 zł 6.15

3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.30 zł 5.06

20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.37 zł 9.20

7.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.69 zł 2.68

14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.76 zł 2.94

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.04 zł 4.03

-16.35%

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

$5.05 zł 19.61

24.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.83 zł 26.54

-9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.22 zł 4.75

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.44 zł 5.61

9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$1.04 zł 4.03

-17.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$30.77 zł 120

-31.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.79 zł 6.96

-64.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.04 zł 4.03

-42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$10.78 zł 41.87

-40.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.60 zł 6.23

22.50%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.5K zł 118.5K

-4.96%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$26.7K zł 103.6K

-0.10%

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

$196 RON 927

$228 zł 886

-14.12%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$8.12 zł 31.56

-0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$14.81 zł 57.5

-36.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$38.72 zł 150

29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$18.44 zł 71.7

37.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$7.51 zł 29.16

8.52%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$259 zł 1,007

142.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$7,977 zł 31.0K

76.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$71.1 zł 276

26.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$35.23 zł 137

8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$76.0 zł 295

4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$103 zł 401

-12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$713 zł 2,769

-4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$552 zł 2,146

-18.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$965 zł 3,749

12.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$800 zł 3,107

-9.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$3,108 zł 12.1K

20.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,418 zł 9,396

-9.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,336 zł 5,190

-0.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.42

5.14%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kielce: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Kielce

$552 39.4% 23.2% $104

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kielce

$183 13.1% 18.7% $42

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Kielce

$192 13.7% 14.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Kielce

$251 17.9% 17.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Kielce

$129 9.2% 4% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Kielce

$54 3.8% 19.2% $13

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Kielce

$42 3% 48.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $713 in Kielce. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kielce pays 0% 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 $38.00 in Kielce for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $192 per month, with Kielce cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Kielce

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

192,468

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Kielce 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Kielce

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 Kielce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Kielce differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,403 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Kielce. 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 $713 in Kielce. 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 $1,403 in Kielce – 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 46% less than in Kielce. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,403 in Kielce, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Kielce. 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.

Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Kielce. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.