Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Ruda Slaska

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Ruda Slaska: $1,340 and $1,386 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Ruda Slaska
Learn more

Ruda Slaska Living Index

Jump to prices

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Ruda Slaska

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Ruda Slaska

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,386 in Ruda Slaska.

Bucharest $1,340
Ruda Slaska $1,386

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,026 in Ruda Slaska.

Bucharest $2,037
Ruda Slaska $2,026

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

Bucharest $2,734
Ruda Slaska $2,666

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 3% less than in Ruda Slaska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Ruda Slaska is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$9.98 zł 38.77

45.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$35.13 zł 137

65.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$8.66 zł 33.64

-13.63%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$3.37 zł 13.08

2.08%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$2.11 zł 8.19

12.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.83 zł 7.10

25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$3.63 zł 14.09

1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$4.60 zł 17.88

-9.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$0.96 zł 3.73

73.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.19 zł 4.61

15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.42 zł 5.54

21.13%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$3.31 zł 12.86

9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$8.08 zł 31.40

12.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$5.30 zł 20.61

29.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$12.19 zł 47.37

-1.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.07 zł 4.17

14.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.43 zł 5.54

13.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.41 zł 5.46

11.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$2.54 zł 9.89

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.96 zł 3.72

-17.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.80 zł 3.09

-3.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$1.24 zł 4.82

-29.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.60 zł 2.31

65.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.53 zł 21.48

14.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$6.41 zł 24.90

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$1.05 zł 4.08

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.64 zł 6.38

-4.27%

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

$30.15 zł 117

-30.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$2.08 zł 8.08

-69.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.99 zł 3.83

-39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$10.88 zł 42.29

-40.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.70 zł 6.59

15.29%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$30.5K zł 118.4K

-4.85%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$27.0K zł 105.0K

-1.41%

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

$196 RON 927

$274 zł 1,064

-28.50%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$7.68 zł 29.85

4.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$17.22 zł 66.9

-45.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$38.16 zł 148

31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$21.60 zł 83.9

17.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$7.08 zł 27.51

15.11%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$476 zł 1,849

31.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$11.8K zł 45.9K

19.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$69.1 zł 268

29.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$30.94 zł 120

23.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$88.1 zł 342

-10.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$91.8 zł 357

-1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$630 zł 2,446

7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$480 zł 1,865

-6.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$1,024 zł 3,980

5.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$852 zł 3,312

-14.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$2,860 zł 11.1K

31.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$2,246 zł 8,726

-2.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$1,504 zł 5,842

-11.59%

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 Ruda Slaska: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Ruda Slaska

$480 34.6% 7.1% $32

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Ruda Slaska

$189 13.7% 15.9% $36

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Ruda Slaska

$198 14.3% 12% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Ruda Slaska

$299 21.6% 40.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Ruda Slaska

$126 9.1% 5.9% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Ruda Slaska

$52 3.8% 21.4% $14

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Ruda Slaska

$41 3% 46.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $630 in Ruda Slaska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruda Slaska pays 13% 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 $35.00 in Ruda Slaska for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $198 per month, with Ruda Slaska cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Ruda Slaska

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

16:17 4:17 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

135,695

💱 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 Ruda Slaska 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Ruda Slaska

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 Ruda Slaska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Ruda Slaska differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,386 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Ruda Slaska. 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 $630 in Ruda Slaska. 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 $1,386 in Ruda Slaska – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 43% less than in Ruda Slaska. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,386 in Ruda Slaska, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Ruda Slaska. 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 Ruda Slaska 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 3% less than in Ruda Slaska. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.