Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Legnica

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Legnica: $1,337 and $1,326 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Legnica
Learn more

Legnica Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,337

/mo nomad

Legnica

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Legnica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $1,326 in Legnica.

Bucharest $1,337
Legnica $1,326

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $1,971 in Legnica.

Bucharest $2,029
Legnica $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $2,615 in Legnica.

Bucharest $2,721
Legnica $2,615

Living in Bucharest is roughly 1% more expensive than in Legnica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Legnica 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.45 RON 68.4

$9.37 zł 36.42

54.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$25.58 zł 99.4

127.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.65

$8.54 zł 33.17

-11.83%

Cappuccino

$3.45 RON 16.33

$2.97 zł 11.53

16.16%

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

$2.46 RON 11.65

$2.02 zł 7.84

21.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.54

$1.00 zł 3.87

123.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 RON 17.78

$3.10 zł 12.06

21.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 RON 19.84

$3.93 zł 15.28

6.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.67

$0.85 zł 3.31

90.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 RON 6.13

$1.04 zł 4.03

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.05

$1.20 zł 4.65

41.67%

Eggs

$3.79 RON 17.93

$2.99 zł 11.63

26.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 RON 41.90

$10.56 zł 41.03

-16.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 RON 32.67

$6.84 zł 26.57

0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 RON 57.4

$7.26 zł 28.21

67.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.17

$1.18 zł 4.58

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.55

$1.65 zł 6.42

-3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.42

$2.15 zł 8.34

-26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 RON 12.67

$2.93 zł 11.40

-8.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$0.82 zł 3.19

-1.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.73

$0.89 zł 3.45

-11.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$1.05 zł 4.06

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.58

$0.51 zł 1.96

90.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 RON 30.34

$4.53 zł 17.58

41.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 RON 29.24

$6.60 zł 25.64

-6.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$0.77 zł 3.01

59.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 RON 7.91

$1.77 zł 6.87

-5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$1.08 zł 4.20

-19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 RON 99.3

$45.46 zł 177

-53.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.10

$1.52 zł 5.91

-56.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.85

$0.53 zł 2.07

13.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 RON 29.28

$9.43 zł 36.65

-34.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 RON 9.15

$1.65 zł 6.42

16.97%

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

$28.7K RON 135.9K

$30.3K zł 117.9K

-5.30%

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

$26.3K RON 124.6K

$26.9K zł 104.6K

-2.18%

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

$196 RON 926

$316 zł 1,228

-38.08%

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

$8.49 RON 40.19

$8.67 zł 33.69

-2.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.05 RON 42.84

$12.81 zł 49.76

-29.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 RON 234

$31.13 zł 121

59.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.03 RON 118

$21.64 zł 84.1

15.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 RON 39.01

$6.24 zł 24.23

32.05%

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

$636 RON 3,007

$304 zł 1,181

109.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K RON 69.0K

$8,909 zł 34.6K

63.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$74.0 zł 287

19.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 RON 183

$40.42 zł 157

-4.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 RON 373

$87.6 zł 340

-10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 RON 428

$97.0 zł 377

-6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 RON 3,288

$493 zł 1,916

40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 RON 2,109

$387 zł 1,505

15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 RON 5,130

$993 zł 3,857

9.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 RON 3,368

$819 zł 3,183

-13.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,797 RON 18.0K

$2,932 zł 11.4K

29.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 RON 10.4K

$2,220 zł 8,626

-0.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,354 RON 6,406

$1,326 zł 5,152

2.10%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Legnica: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$446 33.3%

Legnica

$387 29.2% 13.1% $58

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.9%

Legnica

$172 12.9% 23.9% $54

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.9%

Legnica

$198 14.9% 12.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Legnica

$337 25.4% 58.3% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$133 10%

Legnica

$135 10.2% 0.8% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$66 4.9%

Legnica

$44 3.3% 34% $22

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Legnica

$54 4.1% 91.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $493 in Legnica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 2% 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 $26.00 in Legnica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $198 per month, with Legnica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Legnica

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

02:45 2:45 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

97,958

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Legnica 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Legnica

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 Legnica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Legnica differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $1,326 including rent). Legnica is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $695 in Bucharest versus $493 in Legnica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $1,326 in Legnica – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Legnica runs roughly 117% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,326 in Legnica versus $1,337 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Legnica but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Legnica 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 Legnica 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 Legnica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.