Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Ostrow Wielkopolski

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostrow Wielkopolski: $1,193 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ostrow Wielkopolski
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Ostrow Wielkopolski Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Ostrow Wielkopolski

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Ostrow Wielkopolski

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,193 in Ostrow Wielkopolski.

Bucharest $1,340
Ostrow Wielkopolski $1,193

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,666 in Ostrow Wielkopolski.

Bucharest $2,037
Ostrow Wielkopolski $1,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $2,139 in Ostrow Wielkopolski.

Bucharest $2,734
Ostrow Wielkopolski $2,139

Living in Bucharest is roughly 12% more expensive than in Ostrow Wielkopolski, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Ostrow Wielkopolski 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$10.27 zł 39.90

41.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$35.23 zł 137

64.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$8.97 zł 34.86

-16.61%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$3.38 zł 13.13

1.78%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.77 zł 10.77

-14.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$2.63 zł 10.22

-12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$3.58 zł 13.90

3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$4.64 zł 18.03

-10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.96 zł 3.72

73.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.24 zł 4.82

10.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.48 zł 5.75

16.22%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.24 zł 12.58

12.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$7.79 zł 30.25

16.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.38 zł 20.92

27.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$13.20 zł 51.3

-9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.06 zł 4.14

16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.38 zł 5.37

18.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.42 zł 5.51

10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.58 zł 10.03

-1.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.90 zł 3.51

-12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.88 zł 3.44

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.24 zł 4.83

-29.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.65 zł 2.51

52.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.53 zł 21.49

14.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.43 zł 24.97

-3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.04 zł 4.05

14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.63 zł 6.33

-3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.89 zł 3.45

-3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$1.83 zł 7.10

-65.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.64 zł 2.47

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$10.30 zł 40.03

-37.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.71 zł 6.65

14.62%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.2K zł 117.4K

-4.03%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$25.7K zł 99.8K

3.71%

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

$196 RON 927

$275 zł 1,067

-28.64%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$7.91 zł 30.72

1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$17.30 zł 67.2

-45.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$42.47 zł 165

18.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$12.81 zł 49.76

97.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$5.14 zł 19.97

58.56%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$570 zł 2,213

10.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$12.2K zł 47.3K

15.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$68.4 zł 266

30.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$31.03 zł 121

23.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$87.1 zł 338

-8.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$91.6 zł 356

-1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$414 zł 1,608

63.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$307 zł 1,194

45.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$511 zł 1,987

111.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$376 zł 1,460

92.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,680 zł 6,528

123.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,509 zł 5,863

45.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,505 zł 5,849

-11.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.19

-6.12%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ostrow Wielkopolski: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Ostrow Wielkopolski

$307 25.7% 31.4% $141

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Ostrow Wielkopolski

$198 16.6% 11.9% $27

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Ostrow Wielkopolski

$201 16.9% 10.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Ostrow Wielkopolski

$300 25.1% 40.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Ostrow Wielkopolski

$125 10.5% 6.5% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Ostrow Wielkopolski

$53 4.4% 20.7% $14

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Ostrow Wielkopolski

$8.6 * 0.7% 69.7% $20

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 $414 in Ostrow Wielkopolski. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostrow Wielkopolski pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $35.00 in Ostrow Wielkopolski for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $201 per month, with Ostrow Wielkopolski cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Ostrow Wielkopolski

🕒 Local time

20:12 8:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

71,254

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucharest Ostrow Wielkopolski 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Ostrow Wielkopolski

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 Ostrow Wielkopolski: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Ostrow Wielkopolski differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,193 including rent). Ostrow Wielkopolski is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Ostrow Wielkopolski. 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 $414 in Ostrow Wielkopolski. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bucharest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,193 in Ostrow Wielkopolski – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,193 in Ostrow Wielkopolski versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ostrow Wielkopolski but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Ostrow Wielkopolski 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 Ostrow Wielkopolski 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 Ostrow Wielkopolski gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.