Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Nowy Sacz

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Nowy Sacz: $1,340 and $1,302 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Nowy Sacz
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Nowy Sacz Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Nowy Sacz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Nowy Sacz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,302 in Nowy Sacz.

Bucharest $1,340
Nowy Sacz $1,302

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

Bucharest $2,037
Nowy Sacz $1,984

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,666 in Nowy Sacz.

Bucharest $2,734
Nowy Sacz $2,666

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Nowy Sacz 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$8.66 zł 33.65

67.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$38.46 zł 149

51.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$7.80 zł 30.31

-4.10%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$2.98 zł 11.57

15.44%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.92 zł 7.45

23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.54 zł 5.99

49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.74 zł 10.65

35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.25 zł 12.64

28.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.02 zł 3.98

63.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.31 zł 5.07

4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.54 zł 5.97

11.69%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.31 zł 12.86

9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$8.53 zł 33.13

6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$6.56 zł 25.47

4.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$11.37 zł 44.16

5.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.18 zł 4.60

4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.72 zł 6.68

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.73 zł 6.72

-9.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.55 zł 9.93

-0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.93 zł 3.62

-15.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.04 zł 4.05

-25.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.39 zł 5.41

-37.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.73 zł 2.85

35.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$4.81 zł 18.70

31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.45 zł 25.08

-3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.06 zł 4.13

12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.75 zł 6.82

-10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.93 zł 3.63

-7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$28.06 zł 109

-24.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$2.00 zł 7.76

-68.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.79 zł 3.09

-24.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$9.75 zł 37.89

-34.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.66 zł 6.43

18.07%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.6K zł 118.8K

-5.13%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$26.4K zł 102.5K

0.94%

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

$196 RON 927

$295 zł 1,145

-33.51%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$9.54 zł 37.08

-15.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$12.80 zł 49.73

-26.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$32.47 zł 126

54.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$20.48 zł 79.6

23.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$7.91 zł 30.73

3.03%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$251 zł 976

149.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$2,095 zł 8,138

572.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$56.2 zł 219

59.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$37.64 zł 146

1.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$55.5 zł 216

42.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$72.3 zł 281

24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$516 zł 2,003

31.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$425 zł 1,652

5.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,064 zł 4,133

1.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$912 zł 3,542

-20.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,912 zł 7,428

96.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,126 zł 4,376

94.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$917 zł 3,562

44.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.02

-3.85%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nowy Sacz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Nowy Sacz

$425 32.6% 5.2% $23

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Nowy Sacz

$162 12.5% 27.8% $63

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Nowy Sacz

$212 16.3% 5.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Nowy Sacz

$317 24.3% 48.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Nowy Sacz

$100 7.7% 25.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Nowy Sacz

$48 3.7% 27.4% $18

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Nowy Sacz

$38 2.9% 33.9% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $516 in Nowy Sacz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 45% 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 Nowy Sacz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $212 per month, with Nowy Sacz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Nowy Sacz

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

83,943

💱 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 Nowy Sacz 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Nowy Sacz

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 Nowy Sacz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Nowy Sacz differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,302 including rent). Nowy Sacz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $516 in Nowy Sacz. 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 $1,302 in Nowy Sacz – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nowy Sacz runs roughly 33% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,302 in Nowy Sacz versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nowy Sacz but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Nowy Sacz 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 Nowy Sacz 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 Nowy Sacz 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.