Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Szczecin

For one person, living costs are similar in Bucharest and in Szczecin: $1,351 and $1,331 a month, rent and utilities included.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Szczecin
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Szczecin Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Szczecin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Szczecin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Bucharest versus $1,331 in Szczecin.

Bucharest $1,351
Szczecin $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Bucharest versus $1,974 in Szczecin.

Bucharest $2,033
Szczecin $1,974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Bucharest versus $2,618 in Szczecin.

Bucharest $2,715
Szczecin $2,618

Living in Bucharest is roughly 2% more expensive than in Szczecin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 RON 68.4

$8.71 zł 34.04

66.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 RON 273

$45.79 zł 179

25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 RON 35.46

$8.32 zł 32.50

-9.86%

Cappuccino

$3.43 RON 16.20

$2.93 zł 11.44

17.06%

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

$2.46 RON 11.63

$1.80 zł 7.05

36.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$1.41 zł 5.52

65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 RON 17.97

$2.98 zł 11.64

27.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 RON 19.41

$3.09 zł 12.09

32.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 RON 7.79

$0.92 zł 3.61

79.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 6.39

$1.25 zł 4.90

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$1.06 zł 4.16

67.92%

Eggs

$3.66 RON 17.33

$3.24 zł 12.68

12.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 RON 40.54

$9.39 zł 36.70

-8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 RON 32.17

$6.25 zł 24.43

8.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 RON 55.4

$13.00 zł 50.8

-9.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 RON 6.11

$0.96 zł 3.77

34.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.37

$1.64 zł 6.39

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.28

$1.58 zł 6.19

-2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$2.34 zł 9.14

5.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.92

$0.85 zł 3.32

-2.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.07 zł 4.20

-25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 RON 3.98

$1.12 zł 4.36

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.39

$0.59 zł 2.33

57.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.45

$5.28 zł 20.64

21.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 RON 29.91

$6.49 zł 25.38

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.94

$1.07 zł 4.17

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.46 zł 5.70

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$0.74 zł 2.90

9.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.13 RON 99.9

$25.11 zł 98.2

-15.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.97 zł 7.69

-69.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.91

$0.94 zł 3.67

-35.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.19

$12.96 zł 50.7

-52.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.27

$1.65 zł 6.44

18.79%

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

$28.1K RON 133.1K

$30.2K zł 118.0K

-6.79%

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

$26.3K RON 124.3K

$28.4K zł 111.2K

-7.58%

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

$197 RON 931

$243 zł 949

-18.89%

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

$8.34 RON 39.44

$12.39 zł 48.42

-32.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.19 RON 43.47

$18.74 zł 73.3

-50.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 RON 236

$30.15 zł 118

65.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.99 RON 118

$49.87 zł 195

-49.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 RON 40.01

$6.42 zł 25.09

31.78%

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

$639 RON 3,023

$329 zł 1,287

94.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K RON 68.1K

$7,675 zł 30.0K

87.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 RON 429

$69.8 zł 273

29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 RON 180

$35.71 zł 140

6.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 RON 377

$80.3 zł 314

-0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 RON 441

$89.6 zł 350

4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 RON 3,184

$616 zł 2,407

9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 RON 2,123

$485 zł 1,894

-7.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 RON 5,195

$1,153 zł 4,506

-4.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 RON 3,448

$815 zł 3,184

-10.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,740 RON 17.7K

$3,349 zł 13.1K

11.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 RON 10.4K

$2,339 zł 9,142

-6.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 RON 6,259

$1,622 zł 6,339

-18.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

6.82

-1.17%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Last update for Szczecin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$449 33.5%

Szczecin

$485 36.4% 8% $36

Eating Out

Bucharest

$226 16.8%

Szczecin

$164 12.3% 27.5% $62

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$222 16.5%

Szczecin

$208 15.6% 6.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$214 16%

Szczecin

$274 20.6% 27.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$136 10.1%

Szczecin

$124 9.3% 8.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Szczecin

$43 3.2% 35.6% $24

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Szczecin

$35 2.6% 23.8% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Bucharest and $616 in Szczecin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szczecin pays 23% 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 $46.00 in Szczecin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $208 per month, with Szczecin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇵🇱 Szczecin

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

10:22 10:22 AM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

387,700

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Szczecin 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Szczecin

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 Szczecin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Szczecin differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,351 vs $1,331 including rent). Szczecin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Szczecin. 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: $673 in Bucharest versus $616 in Szczecin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,351 per month in Bucharest versus $1,331 in Szczecin – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Szczecin runs roughly 19% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,331 in Szczecin versus $1,351 in Bucharest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szczecin but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Szczecin 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 Szczecin 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 Szczecin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.