Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Olsztyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,816 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
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Olsztyn Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Olsztyn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,816 in Olsztyn.

Bucharest $1,340
Olsztyn $1,816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,678 in Olsztyn.

Bucharest $2,037
Olsztyn $2,678

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,540 in Olsztyn.

Bucharest $2,734
Olsztyn $3,540

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 26% less than in Olsztyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Olsztyn is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$12.84 zł 49.88

12.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$50.4 zł 196

15.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$8.92 zł 34.67

-16.14%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$3.31 zł 12.85

3.93%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.51 zł 9.75

-5.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.87 zł 7.26

22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.98 zł 11.59

24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$3.91 zł 15.18

6.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.05 zł 4.09

59.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.26 zł 4.90

8.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.42 zł 5.52

21.13%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.85 zł 14.95

-5.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$9.72 zł 37.77

-6.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$7.34 zł 28.51

-6.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$15.04 zł 58.5

-20.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.23 zł 4.77

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.61 zł 6.25

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.80 zł 6.99

-12.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$3.43 zł 13.32

-25.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.97 zł 3.78

-18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.17 zł 4.54

-34.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.37 zł 5.32

-36.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.68 zł 2.64

45.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.49 zł 21.32

14.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$7.42 zł 28.84

-16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.13 zł 4.39

5.31%

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

$1.05 zł 4.07

-18.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$25.79 zł 100

-18.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$2.08 zł 8.09

-69.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.74 zł 2.88

-18.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$10.21 zł 39.67

-37.02%

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

$31.4K zł 121.9K

-7.56%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$29.5K zł 114.4K

-9.55%

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

$196 RON 927

$329 zł 1,277

-40.40%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$10.17 zł 39.53

-20.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$19.00 zł 73.8

-50.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$50.7 zł 197

-0.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$22.47 zł 87.3

12.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$9.12 zł 35.42

-10.64%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$378 zł 1,467

66.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$13.7K zł 53.4K

2.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$103 zł 399

-12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$48.59 zł 189

-21.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$103 zł 402

-23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$105 zł 406

-13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$1,004 zł 3,900

-32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$744 zł 2,892

-39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,685 zł 6,546

-35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$1,344 zł 5,221

-46.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$3,690 zł 14.3K

1.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,548 zł 9,898

-13.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,374 zł 5,338

-3.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.52

-10.24%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Olsztyn

$744 41% 66% $296

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Olsztyn

$209 11.5% 7% $16

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Olsztyn

$238 13.1% 5.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Olsztyn

$358 19.7% 67.8% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Olsztyn

$162 8.9% 20.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Olsztyn

$69 3.8% 3.5% $2.4

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Olsztyn

$36 2% 26.8% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $1,004 in Olsztyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays 3% 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 $50.0 in Olsztyn. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $238, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

18:24 6:24 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

174,675

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Olsztyn 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Olsztyn

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 Olsztyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Olsztyn differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,816 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Olsztyn. 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 $1,004 in Olsztyn. 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 $1,816 in Olsztyn – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 22% less than in Olsztyn. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,816 in Olsztyn, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. 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 Olsztyn 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 35% less than in Olsztyn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.