Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Swinoujscie

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,337 a month against $1,415 in Swinoujscie, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Swinoujscie outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bucharest
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,337
/mo nomad
Swinoujscie
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,415
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Swinoujscie

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,337 in Bucharest versus $1,415 in Swinoujscie.

  • Bucharest $1,337
  • Swinoujscie $1,415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Bucharest versus $2,048 in Swinoujscie.

  • Bucharest $2,029
  • Swinoujscie $2,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Bucharest versus $2,681 in Swinoujscie.

  • Bucharest $2,721
  • Swinoujscie $2,681

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 5% less than in Swinoujscie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Swinoujscie is 4% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.45 RON 68.4
$9.75 zł 37.90
48.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.1 RON 275
$41.32 zł 161
40.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.53 RON 35.65
$8.76 zł 34.04
-14.04%
Cappuccino
$3.45 RON 16.33
$3.41 zł 13.23
1.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 RON 11.65
$2.08 zł 8.08
18.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 RON 10.54
$1.59 zł 6.18
40.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.76 RON 17.78
$3.52 zł 13.66
6.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.19 RON 19.84
$3.85 zł 14.98
8.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 RON 7.67
$0.94 zł 3.64
72.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.30 RON 6.13
$1.50 zł 5.81
-13.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 RON 8.05
$0.72 zł 2.81
136.11%
Eggs
$3.79 RON 17.93
$2.88 zł 11.17
31.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.86 RON 41.90
$8.89 zł 34.53
-0.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.90 RON 32.67
$6.23 zł 24.22
10.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.14 RON 57.4
$11.92 zł 46.30
1.85%
Apples (1kg)
$1.30 RON 6.17
$1.17 zł 4.54
11.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 RON 7.55
$1.24 zł 4.82
29.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 RON 7.42
$1.44 zł 5.60
9.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.68 RON 12.67
$2.34 zł 9.11
14.53%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 RON 3.82
$0.66 zł 2.57
22.73%
Onion (1kg)
$0.79 RON 3.73
$0.85 zł 3.30
-7.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 RON 4.30
$1.24 zł 4.80
-26.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 RON 4.58
$0.68 zł 2.63
42.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.41 RON 30.34
$5.41 zł 21.03
18.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 RON 29.24
$6.43 zł 24.98
-3.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 RON 5.83
$1.08 zł 4.21
13.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 RON 7.91
$1.54 zł 6.00
8.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 RON 4.10
$1.04 zł 4.03
-16.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.98 RON 99.3
$30.39 zł 118
-30.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.66 RON 3.10
$2.06 zł 8.01
-67.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 RON 2.85
$0.74 zł 2.89
-18.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.19 RON 29.28
$9.99 zł 38.82
-38.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 RON 9.15
$1.60 zł 6.21
20.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.7K RON 135.9K
$30.4K zł 117.9K
-5.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K RON 124.6K
$27.2K zł 105.7K
-3.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 RON 926
$273 zł 1,061
-28.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.49 RON 40.19
$8.65 zł 33.60
-1.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.05 RON 42.84
$17.29 zł 67.2
-47.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.54 RON 234
$38.91 zł 151
27.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.03 RON 118
$21.54 zł 83.7
16.20%
Cinema Ticket
$8.24 RON 39.01
$7.05 zł 27.38
16.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$636 RON 3,007
$363 zł 1,410
75.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K RON 69.0K
$7,877 zł 30.6K
85.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.5 RON 419
$79.9 zł 310
10.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 RON 183
$38.36 zł 149
1.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.8 RON 373
$88.1 zł 342
-10.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.6 RON 428
$100 zł 390
-9.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$695 RON 3,288
$616 zł 2,392
12.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 RON 2,109
$498 zł 1,934
-10.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,084 RON 5,130
$969 zł 3,765
11.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$712 RON 3,368
$811 zł 3,149
-12.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,797 RON 18.0K
$2,101 zł 8,165
80.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,202 RON 10.4K
$1,471 zł 5,716
49.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bucharest
Swinoujscie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,354 RON 6,406
$1,808 zł 7,024
-25.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
6.68
1.05%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Swinoujscie: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bucharest
$446
Swinoujscie
$498 11.7% $52
Eating Out
Bucharest
$226
Swinoujscie
$185 17.9% $40
Groceries & Markets
Bucharest
$225
Swinoujscie
$201 10.8% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bucharest
$213
Swinoujscie
$299 40.3% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Bucharest
$133
Swinoujscie
$138 3.4% $4.6
Sport & Entertainment
Bucharest
$66
Swinoujscie
$53 19.7% $13
Getting Around
Bucharest
$28
Swinoujscie
$40 43.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Bucharest and $616 in Swinoujscie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Swinoujscie pays 34% 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 $41.00 in Swinoujscie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $201 per month, with Swinoujscie cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Bucharest
🇵🇱 Swinoujscie
🕒 Local time
22:34 10:34 PM
21:34 9:34 PM
1 h behind Bucharest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,883,425 Capital
38,728
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bucharest Swinoujscie 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bucharest
  • Swinoujscie

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 Swinoujscie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bucharest and in Swinoujscie?
Bucharest and Swinoujscie differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,337 vs $1,415 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Swinoujscie. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Bucharest and in Swinoujscie?
Rent for a central apartment: $695 in Bucharest versus $616 in Swinoujscie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bucharest or Swinoujscie?
All in, you'll spend $1,337 per month in Bucharest versus $1,415 in Swinoujscie – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Bucharest and in Swinoujscie?
A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 45% less than in Swinoujscie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,337 in Bucharest versus $1,415 in Swinoujscie, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Swinoujscie. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bucharest and Swinoujscie?
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.
Is Bucharest or Swinoujscie safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bucharest and Swinoujscie are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Bucharest or Swinoujscie?
Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Swinoujscie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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